|
PFP raises objections
to beef leaflets
BEEF BLURB: The government has made 250,000
fliers explaining what ractopamine is, making the PFP ‘extremely angry’ that
public resources were used to ‘brainwash people’
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff Reporter
Staff from the Taipei Health
Department inspect various containers of meat at a local food company in Taipei
yesterday.
Photo: AFP
People First Party (PFP) caucus whip
Thomas Lee (李桐豪) yesterday urged the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government
to stop what it says is a propaganda campaign surrounding its policy to allow
conditional imports of US beef containing residues of the feed additive
ractopamine.
The Government Information Office (GIO) on Monday produced 250,000 leaflets and
fliers to explain what ractopamine is, why the government plans to ease the
import ban and the benefits the policy would bring the country.
Local governments and KMT lawmakers are responsible for handing out 10,000
copies, 100,000 copies were distributed with newspapers yesterday, while the
rest will be distributed in magazines.
“Is the government a sales representative for a ractopamine producer? It should
not use public funds to advertise the safety of a drug when its use is still
banned in Taiwan,” Lee said, adding that his party was “extremely angry” that
the government had mobilized public resources to “brainwash people.”
He asked the government to present a detailed account of how much the campaign
has cost the legislature.
“We urge President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to exert restraint, to avoid further
irregularities and abuse of power. Now that he has shown himself incapable of
ensuring the health of the public by withstanding pressure to lift the ban, he
has to abide by a resolution approved by the legislature,” Lee said.
Lawmakers have approved a resolution asking the government not to lift the ban
without the legislature’s consent before June, as legislators prioritize a
revision to the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) on the use of
ractopamine in animal feed, a resolution that Premier Sean Chen agreed to.
Lee said his party would resort to all possible measures to boycott the
government and asked the Control Yuan to hold to account the government
officials responsible for the propaganda if the administration continues with
the policy.
In response to the criticism, GIO Minister Philip Yang (楊永明) said the office has
a responsibility to explain the government’s policies to the public.
Through the leaflets and fliers, the GIO is providing the public with
information so that people can understand the importance of the issue from
various points of view, Yang said.
Chen, meanwhile, reiterated yesterday that the government has no timetable for
the lifting of the ban on the import of US beef containing ractopamine.
The remark came a day after Ma called a high-level meeting on the issue in which
he reportedly said the US beef issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible to
facilitate the resumption of Taiwan-US trade talks.
Ma has definitely not set a timetable for lifting the ban, the premier said.
Now that the government has decided on a policy direction that conditionally
allows imports of beef containing ractopamine residues, communication with the
public will continue to promote understanding of the policy, he added.
Chen was referring to an announcement made by the Executive Yuan on March 5 that
it is leaning toward lifting the ractopamine ban based on the principles of
“allowing a safe level of ractopamine in beef, separating the permits for
importing beef and pork, clearly labeling beef imports and excluding imports of
internal organs.”
Additional reporting by CNA
|
