Taichung Deputy Mayor Claims Central Government Designated Oil Factory Inspection List; Commentator Calls It 'Nonsense'

Taichung City's deputy mayor, Cheng Chao-hsin, asserted that the list of oil factories for the 2025 central-local joint inspection project was designated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and that Central Oil was not on it. This statement comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Central Oil for exceeding cancer-causing benzopyrene (BaP) limits and accusations that the Taichung city government failed to inspect the company during Mayor Lu Shiow-yen's eight-year tenure.

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The list of oil factories for the 2025 central-local joint inspection project was designated by the FDA, and there was no Central Oil.

However, FDA Deputy Director-General Wang Der-yuan responded that regardless of central project plans, local health authorities retain their legal responsibilities. He clarified that the central government has never prohibited or restricted local health agencies from conducting sampling, testing, and related inspections according to law.

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Regardless of how the central project is planned, it does not affect the legal responsibilities of local health authorities. The central government has never prohibited or restricted local health agencies from legally carrying out sampling, testing, and related inspection work.

Political commentator Chou Hsuan sarcastically questioned the deputy mayor's claim on Facebook, pointing out that central authorities do not typically designate or restrict which companies local governments can inspect. He questioned why other cities do not face similar issues, implying Taichung has a unique tendency to "argue forcefully" and "make excuses." Chou Hsuan cited examples of other cities, like Tainan and Kaohsiung, which he suggested would not wait for central government directives to inspect companies like "Datong Yi" or "Taisugar oil."

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When did the central government designate and restrict which companies local authorities should inspect?