Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday urged the legislature to pass amendments that would pave the way for the integration and upgrading of the administrative status of Taichung County and Taichung City.
With the legislature set to go into recess tomorrow, Chang encouraged lawmakers to enact the administrative zoning law (行政區劃法) and approve amendments to the Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) and Local Government Act (地方制度法) before their session ends.
Part of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) election platform was to introduce a third international airport, a third science park and a third special municipality.
The Executive Yuan would like to see Taichung City and Taichung County integrated and the combined administrative entity upgraded to a special municipality.
Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) denied that the government's policy had anything to do with Chen. He said the Cabinet backs any policy that is conducive to regional development.
It was not in the government's power to determine if the policy will be implemented, he said, but it would do its best to make it happen.
Chang said the Executive Yuan would form a cross-ministerial taskforce to help formulate supplementary measures and prepare for the upgrade in administrative status.
Meanwhile, the Executive Yuan is seeking to boost the tourism industry by injecting NT$1 billion (US$30.76 million) over the next two years to take advantage of the Olympic Games in Beijing next August, and the World Games in Kaohsiung and the Deaflympic Games in Taipei in 2009.
With the injection of funds, Chang said the government hopes to see the number of tourists visiting Taiwan reach 4.25 million by 2009 and tourism-related industries achieve NT$192.1 billion in revenues.
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