Claiming a lack of public consensus, the Executive Yuan yesterday rejected proposals to legalize gambling on outlying islands.
"The issue is not only about tourism and construction on outlying islands but also about the public interest," Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (
Yu made the remarks during a closed-door meeting of the Cabinet's ad hoc committee for the development of outlying islands.
Although the premier asked the Ministry of the Interior to further study the issue, no timetable was set regarding when the government will consider the proposal again.
Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (
Lai Feng-wei (
Following the crash of a China Airlines plane near Penghu on May 25, the county's tourist industry has experienced its quietest summer in years.
According to statistics from the Association of Tourism in Penghu, the number of visitors was 63 percent lower in the weeks following the China Airlines disaster than at the same time last year.
The recent bad luck has once again caused many to look to legalizing gambling as a way to attract tourists.
The debate over legalizing gambling in Penghu has been going on for more than five years.
The Cabinet has never been able to reach a consensus on the issue because of disagreements between various ministries and agencies.
The Ministry of Justice, for example, opposes the idea, claiming that gambling is a criminal offense as specified in the Criminal Code.
The Ministry of Finance, however, supports the idea because it says it may help local governments bring in more money.
According to an assessment of the effects of legalizing gambling on outlying islands conducted by the interior ministry, supporters of legalized gambling think that it would attract investment to the Penghu archipelago and create more job opportunities for the island's residents.
Critics argue that gambling would not only damage the islands' security and environment, but also increase the cost of living there.
Although it rejected legalizing gambling, the committee yesterday approved an infusion of NT$25.2 billion to develop eight offshore counties and cities over the next four years.
The money will come from the coffers of the eight local authorities, the central government's annual budget and a construction fund for outlying islands.
The Cabinet established the fund for the development of outlying islands last year.
The funds now stand at NT$6.4 billion.
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