Taiwan Today

The government has approved Penghu County’s request to hold a referendum on legalizing casinos, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said June 17. The decision came two months after the Penghu County government filed an application to hold the referendum April 9. The interim was taken up by discussions involving a number of related ministries. Penghu will be the first of the nation’s counties to hold a referendum on the topic. As such, a group led by the premier and comprising officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of the Interior will visit the outlying archipelago June 20 to inspect its tourism facilities. The trip will give the central government a better understanding of how well Penghu is suited to the introduction of gaming. The Referendum Act stipulates that a petition now be circulated. For Penghu, a total of 3,521 signatures must be recorded for the referendum to take place. The referendum is scheduled for August, should related procedures go smoothly. In related news, the MOTC plans to imitate the actions of Singapore’s government in setting up a Gaming Control Board under the Executive Yuan. MOTC Minister Mao Chi-kuo will chair the board and oversee the decision-making process and gaming affairs. The board will be composed of deputy ministers, academics and experts and members of the public. A gaming bureau will also be set up under the MOTC. Should the referendum in Penghu pass, a preparatory committee for the bureau will be established, staffed by civil servants from various ministries.(CYH/MJH)