Citing its logistical advantages and a well-developed infrastructure, the Penghu County Government urged the new administration yesterday to make good on its pledge to permit casinos on the outlying island.
“We are ready for the casinos,” Penghu County Commissioner Wang Chien-fa (王乾發) said, adding that the island chain, with its location in the middle of the Taiwan Strait, had the potential to become a major shipping and tourism hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
At a meeting yesterday with industry leaders, Wang said the county hoped to exploit the introduction of the casinos to develop a more comprehensive tourist destination that could have the capacity to transform Penghu’s fishing industry into a means to boost tourist numbers still further.
“We have strong infrastructure and plots of public land that are ready for the construction of casinos,” Wang said.
“Owing to these efforts, our islands are beginning to attract investment,” he said.
Wang added that a couple of five-star hotels were expected to be opened in the near future.
Wang believed that the casinos would bring increased commercial opportunities for local residents in Penghu, which is generally seen as lagging economically compared to counties in Taiwan proper.
He said Penghu’s harbors, for example, have the potential to become international-quality.
Wang also said that Penghu has the lowest crime rate in the nation.
“Such a safe environment is very good for investors,” he said.
Many counties in the nation are vying to host the casinos, should gaming be legalized. The idea of building casinos in Penghu to help boost the county’s economic development has long been entertained as a way to reverse the islands’ decline and keep gambling away from Taiwan proper.
Some 57 percent of Penghu’s residents backed the idea in a referendum in 2003 that was just as notable for its low 21 percent turnout.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) promised during his “thank you” tour of Penghu on April 9 that once residents had reached a consensus on the casino issue, the central government would help facilitate the development after the related regulations were passed by the legislature.
Penghu attracts about 500,000 tourists a year, mostly from Taiwan proper, officials from the Penghu County Tourism Bureau said.
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS