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Ma Ying-jeou says casinos can help Penghu economy

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday voiced his support for allowing casinos to enhance Penghu's tourism industry and boost its economy.

As debate over legalizing gambling in Penghu continues, Ma said that the KMT supports a proposed amendment to the Offshore Islands Development Law (離島建設條例) that would allow the construction of casinos on the islands.

"Casinos will help revive Penghu's economy and the tourism industry. However, the final decision on whether or not casinos should be built on the islands should be made by Penghu residents," Ma said during a visit to Penghu.

Penghu held a referendum in 2003 on whether the local government should allow casinos on the islands, but turnout was only 21 percent.

Ma said that while he supported casinos as a tourist attraction, they should only form a part -- and not the bulk -- of Penghu's tourism industry and economic development.

He said that the law should also require investors to pay a percentage of their income to the county government and give priority to local residents in job placement.

"We need to work on reducing the negative impact caused by casinos. For example, part of the income should be used to support social welfare and to develop this area," Ma said.

In addition to supporting the establishment of casinos, Ma pledged to open Makong Airport to cross-strait flights to build up Penghu's image as a "tourism island" and attract more visitors from around the world.

In response to Ma's remarks, Penghu County Commissioner Wang Chien-fa (王乾發) said the county government also believed that the establishment of casinos would help boost the local economy and it would therefore continue to push for the development of casinos as part of its tourism plans.
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