Press Release of the Offshore Control Division of the Executive Yuan's SARS Epidemic Prevention, Control and Relief Committee
To revive domestic business activities, the Offshore Control Division on June 9 further adjusted regulations for businesspeople coming/returning to Taiwan. Since there have been some misconceptions among business travelers and the general public about the concrete content of the new rules, the Offshore Control Division herewith states the changes in detail:
1. The prime goal in setting up the Offshore Control Division was to avoid all unnecessary travel between Taiwan and other SARS-affected areas, and to prevent fresh imports of the SARS virus with management of the number of the entrants. This was, and is, the only effective way to get enough room to put the domestic epidemic under control. Therefore, stricter border controls were enforced at all of the nation's airports and commercial/fishing harbors, and a major crackdown was launched on smuggling and illegal immigration. These, and other accompanying measures, were all aimed at stably controlling local outbreaks.
2. Currently, the domestic epidemic is showing signs of coming under control. However, since there remains a potential danger of new outbreaks, which is why it is still necessary to maintain certain control over the number of the entrants. Accordingly, the government will adjust and ease the rules step by step allowing for more flexible implementation of prevention and quarantine measures. The government will also consider to what extent the risk can be undertaken. Restrictions can only be eased in order of priority and some of choice should be made in view of the government's overall capacity to enforce SARS prevention policy. Under this precondition, to energize domestic commercial activities, we have decided that at the moment the priority of this adjustment is to first ease regulations for business travelers. We hope that the population can show understanding for this measure, and support the administration in concerted efforts to rationally face the action taken to deal with the SARS crisis.
3. At the moment, the adjustment made for providing reasonable room for commercial activities with regard to Taiwan businesspeople in the Mainland is limited to those companies (incl. entire staff) holding an official permit for investment in the Mainland, as issued by the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Investment Commission. The eased rules apply to business travelers/company staffs that need to return to Taiwan for business/work reasons. Since clear standards and workable guidelines are needed to facilitate immediate and efficient implementation of the new measures, it was necessary for the time being to limit the measures' scope to enterprises that have registered their operations in the Mainland with the Investment Commission. Staffs from companies in the Mainland that have not obtained a permit from the Investment Commission are not eligible for flexible quarantine rules. The government will constantly evaluate the latest developments (number of travelers, epidemic situation before/after implementation of new measures, etc.), and keep readjusting the rules accordingly.
4. ROC nationals, foreign passport holders, Hong Kong residents and the Mainland people may come to Taiwan for business/work reasons, but the responsible persons of their company or their business partner/client in Taiwan is required to guarantee by written documents that they will comply with all prescribed preventive measures as stipulated in the "Guidelines for Entrants to Conduct Business Activities", which include: the wearing of a surgical mask whenever in small, closed spaces, daily temperature checks, refraining from use of any form of public transportation vehicles, recording in detail of the visitor's entire itinerary during stay in Taiwan, and avoiding visiting crowded public areas. Although the above-mentioned business (work) travelers are exempt from the much stricter home quarantine measures, yet their movements and behavior are still restricted in a similar way and with the same goal of preventing the spread of the SARS virus. At the same time, the responsible persons acting in violation of their guarantee letter can be fined between NT$ 60,000 and NT$ 300,000.
5. The Offshore Control Division has already posted all relevant data and forms (including the various adjustment plans and measures, guarantee letters, health certificate forms etc.) on the Internet for perusal/downloading. The Division also provided the public with telephone hotlines for their inquiries. It is only natural that with the new measures just in place, many people have questions or are unsure about details. Therefore, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the Ministry of Economic Affair's Investment Commission (MOEAIC) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) have also assigned additional staff and set up extra telephone hotlines. The numbers are: MAC (20 lines): 02-23975589/MOEAIC (40 lines): 02-33435700.
6. The adjustment plans state clearly that ROC nationals working in "areas with the recent local transmission of SARS" (such as Hong Kong or Toronto, Canada) are not required to undergo home quarantine upon reentering Taiwan, and may be treated according to the "Guidelines for Entrants to Conduct Business Activities During the Period of Quarantine Measures," if the responsible persons of their company or their business partner/client in Taiwan applies to the MOEAIC and signs a letter of guarantee. In fact, on June 9, when the new regulations became effective, as many as 86 cases of ROC nationals working in Hong Kong were granted permission to enter Taiwan after having filed application with quarantine letters. As for recent media reports on the Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asia, Mr. Hsueh Sung, and his business trip between Hong Kong and Taiwan, we express our regret at the distorted picture those misguided reports have given of the situation. The fact is that Mr. Sung meets the requirements for flexible treatment, and may apply to the MOEAIC to be exempt from home quarantine after entering Taiwan.