In a bid to help Aborigines cope with the impact of Taiwan's WTO accession, the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a NT$700 million, four-year project to help improve Aboriginal productivity, agriculture and boost tourism in Aboriginal areas.
According to a Cabinet press release distributed yesterday, the government is offering the assistance because Aborigines are bearing the brunt of the impact following Taiwan's accession.
"With Taiwan becoming a member of the WTO, the local market, particularly the agricultural sector, is facing the challenges of price and quality brought by imported goods," the statement said.
"While most Aborigines engage in farming, their production environment and marketing skills are worse off than those of their Taiwanese counterparts."
To help Aborigines cope, the Cabinet will earmark NT$175 million each year between next year and 2006.
The four-year, NT$700 million project will focus on three major areas: agriculture, tourism and productivity.
To help the development of Aboriginal farming, the Cabinet plans to establish 30 management blocs to promote and market agricultural products produced by Aborigines.
The Cabinet will also build 10 agricultural product processing factories and wineries, organize 24 agricultural product promotion events and establish 10 Aboriginal handicraft exhibition centers.
In addition, the Cabinet plans to set up a marketing network to offer information on Aboriginal agricultural products.
To develop the Aboriginal tourism industry, the Cabinet plans to organize nature tours to raise the public's awareness of ecological conservation in Aboriginal areas.
Twenty areas rich in ecological and cultural resources will be selected to be developed for tourism.
The Cabinet will also offer management training courses to those interested in the tourism industry in a bid to upgrade the industry's management, efficiency and service quality.
Training courses will also be available to cultivate more Aboriginal tour guides and to train them to open their homes as small hotels so they will not only have additional income, but also help promote local tourism.
To strengthen Aborigines' productivity and artistic skills, the Cabinet plans to cultivate their athletic, musical and dance talent.
Training programs in culture, education and special skills will also be available to Aborigines to make it easier for them to either start a business or find a job.
The Cabinet also plans to offer training programs to nurture domestic care-takers so younger Aborigines will stay in their hometowns instead of leaving -- to put their training into practice.
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