Sun, Nov 19, 2017 page6

• Residents of Yilan must make some hard choices

  • By Lee Wu-chung 李武忠
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  Immediately following his appointment by the central government, Yilan County Acting Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德) announced plans to return taxes levied on illegal farmhouses and to allow farmhouses to be built in the center of farmlands, removing the requirement that they be built along the land’s legal boundary and a road.

  Amendments to the Agricultural Development Act (農業發展條例) in 2000 allowed nonfarmers to acquire farmland. This has opened a Pandora’s box, leading to a series of problems. Although there are regulations in place for the construction of farmhouses, they have never been properly enforced due to pressure from a variety of groups and politicians.

  The completion of the Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道) made Yilan a target for real-estate speculators.

  During former Yilan County commissioner Lin Tsung-hsien’s (林聰賢) term, the number of farmhouses increased by 8,000 per year, with at least 5,000 of them being illegal. One of the illegal farmhouses was even found to have been owned by a former Council of Agriculture official, sparking widespread debate.

  To curb the number of illegal farmhouses, the Yilan County Government set down a number of new rules. Under those rules, applicants for farmhouse construction permits had to undergo stricter reviews and farmhouses had to have rectangular floor plans and be built along the property’s legal boundary and a road to prevent the upper layers of soil from leaching.

  The government also increased the housing tax rate for illegal farmhouses and the land value tax rate for farmland not being used for farming.

  The series of measures sparked ire among owners of farmland and eventually forced the head of a related agency to be reassigned to a different position, leaving the new policies barely enforced. As soon as Chen took office, he scrapped many of the regulations his predecessor had passed.

  Some have questioned Chen’s decision to do so, suspecting that he has plans to run for county commissioner next year.

  To appease his doubters, Chen could make clear that he has no plans to join next year’s election and create concrete measures — ones that can stand up to scrutiny — that prevent land from being misused.

  At the very least, Chen could revoke the permits of applicants who have not built their farmhouses according to approved plans and report them to the agency that oversees the area’s land development, as stipulated by the Regulations for Reviewing Applications for Farm Facilities on Farmlands (申請農業用地作農業設施容許使用審查辦法).

  Yilan’s reputation — as being a sacred place for Taiwanese democracy, after giving birth to revered political figures in the movement — appears to be under strain.

  Residents must decide whether the county is to become highly urbanized or to keep its pristine and relaxing environment.

  In the past, the residents chose to protect Yilan’s mountains and water by saying no to naphtha crackers, but low profits from farming have made many landowners prefer to use their land for other purposes.

  To ensure the sustainability of Taiwan’s agriculture, the government must insist that farmlands be used for farming and help raise farmers’ incomes so that landlords do not get upset when lands are designated as farmland.

  By the end of next year, the county’s residents must make another important decision. All candidates for Yilan County commissioner will have to clarify their stance on the issue and no matter whom residents of Yilan choose, they must be ready for the consequences of that choice.

  Lee Wu-chung is an adjunct professor in Taipei.

  Translated by Tu Yu-an
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