The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft bill on the operation and administration of casino gambling in outlying islands, under which people aged below 20 or gamblers who were put on watch lists by their families would be banned from casinos.
According to the draft, operators of casinos would be mandated to impose entry bans on certain groups of people, including people who are younger than than 20 or under judicial tutelage, and people working at dedicated or regulatory betting agencies.
At the request of their family members, close relatives or partners, as defined under the draft, these agencies would be able to demand that casino operators apply the ban to people who are addicted to gambling, who are recipients of government allowances, have been declared bankrupt or who have a bad credit record, among others.
The government is required to draft the legislation by the Offshore Islands Development Act (離島建設條例), under which a referendum to allow a casino to be built in the outlying island chain of Matsu was held in July last year. The referendum passed, with 56 percent of Matsu voters in favor and 42 percent opposed.
At a press conference held following the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said the government is not considering developing casinos on Taiwan proper, rejecting an idea proposed by Hon Hai Group (鴻海集團) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) and some Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers.
Yeh said he expected that an international casino resort offering gambling, hotel, convention and other facilities could be established in Matsu in 2019 at the earliest.
For the first 20 years following the establishment of casinos in the outlying islands, no tax would be imposed on casino winnings, the draft states. Local governments would be entitled to impose a tax on casino operators, capped at a maximum of 7 percent of their revenues.
Casino operators would have to pay franchise fees to the central government for the first 15 years of operation, equal to 7 percent of their revenue, with the tax rate increasing to 8 percent from the 16th to 25th years, and to 9 percent from the 26th year onward.
The draft is to be sent to the legislature for deliberation.
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
US President Donald Trump on Friday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office. Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ Special Report. “He told me: ‘I will never do
RSS