Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya (
Chang said she also agreed with the proposal.
But the remarks drew immediate criticism from anti-gambling groups.
Chang made the comment yesterday morning at a joint meeting of the legislature's interior and financial committees, which were reviewing amendments to the Offshore Islands Development Act (離島建設條例). New Party Legislator Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) asked Chang whether the government would consider lifting the ban on casinos on the outer islands in order to boost the local economy.
"I fully agree with the idea of tourist hotels setting up casino facilities as part of the development of the local tourist industry," Chang said.
She added that Chen had also expressed his agreement with the proposal in a recent meeting with the president of a US company interested in investing in the tourism industry on the Penghu Islands.
KMT Legislator Lin Pin-kuan (林炳坤) from Penghu County and a keen advocate of casinos, said he would within a few days table more amendments to the Offshore Islands Development Act to legalize casinos on the outlying islands.
Chang said it was better that legislators propose the amendments rather than the Executive Yuan.
The possible introduction of casinos to Taiwan's outlying islands has been a controversial issue since 1988. Advocates say casinos would boost tourism and stimulate the economies of remote areas -- creating more jobs and tax revenues -- while objections have focused on issues of public order and morality.
Several civil groups and people opposed to the legalization of gambling swiftly condemned the proposal, saying that the DPP government was worse than the KMT as far as this issue was concerned.
"If the new government's economic policy is to attract tourists with gambling, then [the government] is sinking too low and degrading itself," the groups' joint statement said.
The statement said that even the KMT government upheld an anti-gambling policy out of concern over public order and safety, despite intensive lobbying by interested parties. "Why has the DPP government become so keen to rake in ill-gotten profits?" it asked.
The names on the statement included the Life Conservationist Society (
The statement stressed that, citing the experience of other countries, legalized gambling would cause crime rates to rise.
The groups also said casinos offer no economic benefits. They cited US research data which found that for every dollar earned by casinos, taxpayers pay three dollars in social welfare expenditures necessitated by the effects of gambling.
Chen Yueh-fong (陳玉峰), dean of the General Education Center at Providence University (靜宜大學), who also signed the statement, said the government must carry out a further assessment of the potential advantages and disadvantages of allowing the establishment of casinos.
"There is still room for discussion. I wonder whether the government has carefully evaluated [the proposal's] possible social impact," he said in an interview with the Taipei Times.
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old
SEA SEARCH: Nine crew members of a cargo ship had taken to the water after the vessel sunk off the southern coast, with a rescue effort under way, officials said The strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years yesterday killed three people and flooded parts of the nation’s second-biggest city, while rescuers were searching for nine sailors after their cargo ship sank in the storm. Typhoon Gaemi transformed streets in Kaohsiung into rivers, with some households flooded. Offices and schools were closed for the second consecutive day, with thousands of people evacuated. Three people died and 380 were injured due to strong winds and torrential rainfall brought by Typhoon Gaemi, the Central Emergency Response Center said. The typhoon made landfall in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳) at midnight yesterday and departed Taiwan
SEVEN-YEAR TERM: Three other defendants were found guilty and sentenced in the trial over legislative office salaries, while a fourth was found not guilty of all charges Anne Kao (高虹安) yesterday was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison and suspended as Hsinchu mayor after the Taipei District Court found her guilty of contravening the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) and the Criminal Code. The court also deprived Kao of her civil rights for four years and she was suspended from office by the Ministry of the Interior. Article 78 of the Local Government Act (地方制度法) stipulates that a mayor of a special municipality will be suspended from office if they are found guilty of contravening the Anti-Corruption Act. Kao was accused of taking for her own use more than