Chung Lian Oils Case: Audit Ministry to Launch Strict, Cautious Special Investigation

(Central News Agency reporter Tseng I-Ning, Taipei, July 15) Amid the Chung Lian Oils case, opposition and ruling party legislators today raised successive concerns over market-driven takeovers in the food industry triggering systemic issues, and criticized the food safety traceability system for excessively relying on honest reporting by businesses. Auditor General Chen Jui-min of the Audit Ministry stated that a strict and cautious special investigation will be launched.

The Legislative Yuan's Finance Committee today invited Auditor General Chen Jui-min of the Audit Ministry, Controller General Chen Shu-tzu of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Deputy Minister Lin Ching-yi of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Deputy Minister Chang Liao Wan-chien of the Ministry of Education to deliver a special report on 'Government Food Safety Management Mechanisms, the Five Rings of Food Safety, and the Execution and Audit Results of Campus Food Safety Budgets,' followed by a question-and-answer session.

Kuomintang legislator Lin Te-fu questioned whether, despite the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs collectively investing NT$29.6 billion from 2020 to 2024 to build the 'Five Rings of Food Safety,' the current incident still occurred. 'Does the government become blind the moment businesses choose not to report?' he asked, criticizing that despite massive government investment in building the system, it still lacks early warning effectiveness.

Lin Ching-yi responded that from 2022 to 2025, special subsidies have been allocated annually to local governments for oil product inspections. Going forward, the government will maintain skepticism toward self-reporting by businesses and hopes that inspection data will be conducted by third-party testing agencies. For large-scale oil refineries with high batch output, such as Chung Lian Oils, inspection frequency should also be increased.

Lin Te-fu further asked whether the Audit Ministry would launch a special audit targeting the blind spot of the food safety traceability system's overreliance on honest business reporting, to uncover systemic dereliction of duty.

Chen Jui-min stated that food safety directly concerns the health and safety of the public, and in accordance with legislators' suggestions, a strict and cautious special investigation will be initiated.

Democratic Progressive Party legislator Kuo Kuo-wen pointed out that the root cause of this incident lies in the change of control at Taisun in 2023, followed by Formosa in 2024, and in 2025, both companies separately appointed the chairman and general manager of Chung Lian Oils. Currently, the chairman of Chung Lian Oils is appointed by Formosa, and the general manager by Taisun. Both are market-oriented figures with insufficient professional expertise. He suggested that the Financial Supervisory Commission and the Ministry of Economic Affairs should consider mechanisms to address problems arising from market-driven takeovers of critical industries.

Chen Jui-min agreed, stating that self-management by businesses is practically impossible, as it contradicts human nature, and that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the FSC should learn from this case and re-evaluate industries impacting public health and safety. (Edited by Su Lung-chi) 1150715