The committee initially said that the factories could be demolished by the end of last year, but later put off the timetable to the end of this month. “Since 2000, the number of illegal factories on farmland has been growing steadily by about 5,000 or 6,000 per year,” Taiwan Environmental Information Association secretary-general Chen Juei-pin (陳瑞賓) said, adding that more than 130,000 illegal factories are occupying farmland. Foreign companies might reject Taiwanese products if they find that the products are manufactured in illegal structures, given that many global firms have begun to highlight corporate social responsibility in their supply chains, he said. Local governments have become more active in demolishing illegal factories on farmland since the removal plan was announced, COA Department of Planning Director-General Tsai Sheng-fu (蔡昇甫) said separately yesterday, adding that the cross-agency committee can only urge the local governments, but cannot interfere in their affairs. The next removal list would be announced after the 17 factories are demolished, Tsai added, without providing a timetable.

Source: Taipei Times March 26, 2018 15:56 UTC