The Cabinet yesterday proposed revised rules on farmland expropriation with a view to preventing indiscriminate development of arable land by turning it into non-agricultural use and ensuring the rights of displaced farmers.
Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), who presented an amendment to the Land Expropriation Act (土地徵收條例) for discussion at a Cabinet meeting, said the government aimed to push the bill through before the legislature goes into recess in mid-December.
Jiang said the amendment by and large sought to answer public concerns over the expropriation of farmland in the wake of several controversial conversion projects in recent years.
The government proposed introducing an article to “preserve arable farmland” which stipulates that certain areas designated for agricultural and pasture uses cannot be targeted for conversion by land developers.
EXCEPTION
However, a long list of exception are to be made in the case of use by the military, transportation, public utilities, irrigation, sanitation and environmental protection or major construction projects approved by the Executive Yuan, Jiang said.
If the legislature passes the bill, land developers would be required to evaluate how their projects would impact an area in terms of economics, social-cultural effects, bio-diversity and the environment before a comprehensive assessment could be made as to whether a project is necessary and whether it brings with it countervailing public benefits.
The bill would also require that land developers negotiate prices with land owners facing expropriation based on market price, thereby addressing one of the major criticisms at present, that -government-declared valuations have been too low.
HELPING HAND
An additional article says that land developers are required to accommodate displaced low and middle-income families until they are able to find a place to settle down permanently either by providing them with temporarily accommodation, or rent and mortgage assistance.
The amendment would also allow land owners to opt for compensation in the form of land if they later decide that is preferable to any cash compensation.
To ensure and respect the wishes of farmers who want to continue farming after their farmland is expropriated, the bill said land developers should designate an area specifically for agriculture use in any expropriation project.
In related news, Jiang said that the Cabinet was also deliberating amendments to the Real Estate Broking Management Act (不動產經紀業管理條例) and the Statute for Equalization of Land Rights (平均地權條例), both of which would soon be referred to the legislature for review.
If passed, the two amendments and an amendment to the Land Administration Agent Act (地政士法), which is undergoing legislative review, could help establish a database of real-estate transaction prices that would serve as basis when determining a fair price for land subject to expropriation, Jiang said.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation