President Ma Ying-jeou has said that local governments should help the central government in developing the economy. Ma made the comment while receiving a group of panelists from the Taiwan Local Councils Representations Community Forum on Monday.
The president said he originally felt that local governments don’t have much say in national economic issues. But when he served as Taipei mayor, he realized that local governments actually play very important roles in pushing the nation’s economy forward. He cited the two technology parks in Taipei as examples, saying these local facitilities have created more than NT$ 2 trillion in market value for the whole nation. Also, the Wi-Fi network in Taipei has become an important tool in promoting tourism to the country.
Ma added that for the past 6 years, the central government has worked closely with local governments to develop local economies and build transportation and internet infrastructure. The president said he hopes that through the Taiwan Local Councils Representations Community Forum, governments at all levels can better understand how to work together to develop Taiwan’s economy.