Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung says the ministry has given local governments one month to inspect and take over management of all older mixed-use buildings.
On the 18th, Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung told lawmakers the ministry has given local governments one month to inspect and take over management of all older mixed-use buildings in their jurisdiction. In addition, municipalities have been given three months to complete public and fire safety inspections of these buildings. Hsu says Taipei and New Taipei each have around a dozen of these buildings.
Hsu Kuo-yung, Interior Minister："Taipei probably has around a dozen (dangerous buildings). New Taipei City probably has around the same number. I think Taichung probably has some too, and other cities and counties too -- not just the six special municipalities. The cities and districts that are older probably have some too. We will be tackling these first."
Hsu further said the older a city is, the more of these buildings it probably has. Hsu believes the problem needs to be tackled not just legally and systematically, but from a management standpoint as well. The ministry has started drafting revisions to the Condominium Administration Act to mandate the establishment of management committees in older mixed-use buildings. However, analysts say management committees are far from a cure-all.
Hsu Kuo-yung, Interior Minister："The establishment of management committees isn't a cure-all, but it will at least be the first step in enforcing fire and public safety measures. I'll give an example: If there is a management committee in place, it can ask the court to force residents to pay overdue management fees."
Wu Hsin-hsou, Director-General, Construction and Planning Agency："(Once laws are amended), buildings that don't currently have management committees will be forced to establish management committees. On the other hand, there will be more fines to make sure property owners live up to their legal responsibilities."
Taiwan currently has a residential smoke alarm installation rate of 80 percent, but installation is not mandatory. Some say better fire safety awareness and education could boost this rate.
高雄城中城大火，燒走46條人命，也燒出老舊建築物公共安全的問題，前往立法院內政委員會進行專題報告的內政部長徐國勇指出，將要求地方政府一個月內盤點老舊建築物全數納管， 3個月完成老舊複合用途建築物公安與消防全面稽查，還透露雙北各有十多棟的複合式危老大樓。
內政部長 徐國勇表示：「台北市應該有十多棟（危老大樓），新北市也應該是這個數目左右。我想台中也會有，甚至其他的縣市，雖然不是六都，但是其他縣市，早發展的這一些城市地區也會有，這個數量就是我們優先要來處理的。」
徐國勇進一步表示，從高雄城中城事件，看出台灣都市發展愈早，產生老舊大樓的問題愈多，無論是法規面要檢討，制度面、管理面也要有相關規範，而為了防止城中城悲劇再度上演，內政部研議修正公寓大廈管理條例，要強制規定老舊複合用途大樓成立管委會，卻遭到質疑，成立管委會並非萬靈丹。
內政部長 徐國勇表示：「管理委員會成立當然不是萬靈丹，但是至少是我們在消防公安、公共區域的安全等等，讓它產生強制力的第一步。我舉個例子，有人不交管理費，如果有管理委員會成立的話，就可以請求法院來強制執行。」
營建署長 吳欣修表示：「（修法後）未來這些，沒有成立管理委員會的這個部分，我們一邊是強制要成立，另外一方面，也會加以納入到相關罰則，希望所有權人，不要規避法令的責任。」
近年來，消防署力推住家安裝住警器，目前裝設率已經達到八成，但是憲法保障個人財產，難以強制私人住宅全面安裝，因此，如何加強宣導，讓民眾有防災意識，也是重要。
