The Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development is planning to liberalize zoning regulations for the service sector in Taipei and Kaohsiung, the Chinese-language Liberty Times reported yesterday, citing Hu Sheng-cheng (
Speaking at a seminar on the development of the nation's service sector, Hu said the council may allow small service providers who will not disturb neighboring residents to set up offices in residential areas, the report said.
Hu said the service sector has become a major economic force, accounting for 67.7 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. He added that the council has coordinated with other government agencies and is ready to loosen related zoning regulations for the sector, the report said.
The Taipei City Land Zoning Usage Control Regulations (
According to existing rules, many service providers are not allowed to have offices in residential buildings or areas. However, land for commercial use in the city accounts for only 6.8 percent of total lan area, which has been a major complaint among operators wishing to open their business in the city.
One foreign trade organization has criticized the zoning regulation, saying it's outdated and should be amended to permit the establishment of more supermarkets.
In a paper published earlier this year, the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei said that due to the shortage of available commercial land for development, there are not large tracts of land available for constructing large-scale retail stores.
The chamber suggested that the Taipei city government increase the percentage of commercial land by rezoning more residential and industrial land, and amending current rules to permit the establishment of supermarkets and hypermarkets and in the basements and first two floors of buildings in residential areas.
Hsu Chih-Chien (
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