Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
Chang made the remark as he accepted questions from lawmakers in the legislature, with the question of whether the government should adopt a policy to allow gambling on Taiwan's offshore islands continuing to draw extensive concern in the local political arena.
"Evaluation of the issue hasn't been finished yet, and there is no immediate urgency for the Executive Yuan to deal with this matter," Chang said.
Chang said the Executive Yuan had charged the Ministry of the Interior with the evaluation work, as there were wide inter-ministerial differences on the issue.
The issue first raised public concern on Wednesday when Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya (張博雅) told lawmakers that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had expressed support for such a proposal during an October meeting with Selbon Andelson, chairman of US-based The Venetian Resort, an arm of the Las Vegas Sands.
This was widely interpreted as a sign that the government was in favor of allowing gambling on the offshore islands.
But officials from the Presidential Office on Thursday said that Chen had never made any promise that casinos were to be set up in Penghu, saying the discussion mainly concerned the development of the tourism industry in Penghu.
Chang yesterday further explained the background to the president's meeting with Andelson.
"We welcome investment by foreign companies, and this is the reason why the president received the business representative. But this meeting shouldn't be linked with the government's policy on the gambling industry," Chang said.
Interior minister Chang, meanwhile, said that Chen was "supportive" of development plans by foreign investors in Penghu, which did not mean that he had "approved" any of the plans.
However, Chang confirmed that her ministry had indeed been ordered to study a proposal to open up the gambling industry on the offshore islands as part of efforts to boost the development of the islands.
Chang said the proposal was raised by a group of local politicians including Penghu County Council speaker Su Kun-hsiung (
According to a press statement issued by the Presidential Office immediately after that meeting, Chen agreed that "it would be a more acceptable option to establish a gambling industry on the offshore islands, because people are less likely to oppose it."
Yu Shyi-kun, secretary general of the Presidential Office, explained yesterday that Chen had issued the statement out of politeness, rather than intending to offer any promise.
"It is not the duty of the Presidential Office [to decide such a policy]," Yu said.
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