The Tourism Bureau said it is to announce an amendment to the Regulations for Administration of Tourist Hotel Enterprises (觀光旅館業管理規則) requiring proprietors to begin operation of a hotel within nine years after bureau permission is granted, adding that the new policy is to take effect later this month.
Hotel, Travel and Training Division Director Lai Ping-jung (賴炳榮) said the regulation changes were proposed because some hotel operators were not building hotels even after securing construction licenses. Others had not applied for operational licenses after building had been completed, nor applied for newly built facility inspections.
The amendment was proposed to ease financial pressure on hotel operators, which could affect plans to continue or expand their businesses.
Based on the amended regulations, hotel operators would have a maximum of nine years to build a hotel and launch a business after securing a permit, including two years to obtain a construction license, five years to secure an operational license, one year to launch a business and one year for extensions.
The permit to build a hotel would expire if proprietors fail to launch a business within a nine-year period, Lai said, adding that hotel operators would have to reapply for another permit.
Lai said the bureau has also stipulated a transitional clause, as the new policy would affect four developments that have been extended at least twice.
He said they have only one more year to start their businesses after the new policy takes effect.
To ease the financial burden on hotel developers, Lai said the regulations would allow them to complete construction in phases and they can open for business as soon as construction of all necessary infrastructure is completed and government certifications are issued.
Lai added that the amendment also requires hoteliers to assist firefighters or police when called to the premises.
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