Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) The Changhua County government voiced opposition Monday to a Cabinet decision to demolish illegal factories built on farmland without proposing complementary measures, such as ensuring the livelihoods of affected factory workers.

Changhua Public Works Department Director Tai Rui-wen (戴瑞文) declared the stance at a press conference in which he reiterated five principles set forth by the county chief the previous week on the issue of the removal of illegal factories from farmland.

Changhua Magistrate Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷) said during a county council meeting Sept. 12 that agriculture and industry are equally important to the people of Changhua, but he also pledged that starting from that day, businesses will be strictly banned from building factories on farmland.

For those that already exist on farmland, the county government will not tear them down, as long as they do not pollute the land, rivers and air, evade taxes or pose industrial safety risks, Wei said.

On Monday, the Council of Agriculture (COA) called an inter-ministerial meeting with the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Economic Affairs to discuss a directive handed down by former Premier Lin Chuan (林全) July 20 that all illegal factories built on farmland after May 20, 2016, when the Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) administration took office, must be demolished.

At the meeting, it was decided to remove 17 such factories in the first wave of carrying out the policy, according to COA Department of Planning Director-General Tsai Sheng-fu (蔡昇甫).

Among the designated factories, eight are situated in Changhua County, five in Kaohsiung, two in Chiayi County, one in New Taipei and one in Tainan, Tsai said.

He explained that since assuming office on Sept. 8, new Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has not said the policy will be withdrawn, while COA Minister Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) and his deputy, Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲), have both stressed that the law must be upheld.

The Changhua press conference was held before the measure was announced, but there were media reports that 14 illegal factories built on farmland in the central county would be first on the demolition list.

Tai said the county government is not opposed to the policy to remove illegal factories from farmland. However, "each factory has eight to 10 employees," he noted.

The workers' livelihoods must be taken care of, the county official said. Also the demolition work will generate a huge amount of waste, leaving a problem of disposal.

Without complementary measures, "when an old problem is resolved, a new one will come after," Tsai warned. 

(By Wu Jhe-hao and Elizabeth Hsu)
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