Ex Agriculture Minister: Nationalizing Irrigation Ass’ns an Act of Political Predation

 Ex Agriculture Minister: Nationalizing Irrigation Ass’ns an Act of Political Predation

Source: China Times

December 15, 2017

According to an amendment bill to the Statute Governing the Organization for Irrigation Associations, local irrigation associations would be changed from corporations in the public sector into government agencies. Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢), Minister of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA),  stated that irrigation associations currently served only 46% of farmers, so 54% still needed assistance. Lin went on to say that the amendment bill would change irrigation associations into government agencies that could really serve farmers, adding that “actually, it is a simple matter.”

Chen Bao-ji (陳保基), a former COA Minister, stated that the bill would change irrigation associations into government agencies under the COA, so Chen questioned whether it would be difficult for irrigation associations to compete with industries, under the purview of the Economics Ministry, for water rights when facing water scarcity. He went on to say that most of the real estate owned by irrigation associations was donated by their members, adding that “without informing or consulting the original owners of the property, the government wants to directly nationalize the assets through amending the law. This is nothing but political predation.”

At a press conference held by the COA yesterday, Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲), COA Deputy Minister, stressed that the Water Resources Act stipulated that water rights for irrigation took precedence over those for industries, which would remain unchanged if the bill should be enacted into law. Chen went on to say that the NT$300 billion (US$ 10 billion) in assets of the irrigation associations would be used only for the benefit of farmers, adding that the assets would be nationalized, but definitely not “confiscated.”

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