Taipei (Asia Pulse) – The government will not allow casinos to be established before a consensus is reached among the various sectors of society, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Chin-Jun said Tuesday.

Chen reiterated the government’s stance on the issue in an interview with the Central News Agency, during which he said that the Cabinet will not put any casino-related bills on a priority list to be referred to the Legislative Yuan for approval during its upcoming session.

Chen’s remarks came on the opening of a new large casino in Macau which has drawn Taiwanese people’s attention to the issue again.

Media reports said earlier that the government had decided to issue three casino operating licenses, which sparked heated discussions.

However, Chen said that none of the 80-plus priority bills that the Cabinet will submit to the legislature for review deal with the casino issue. He added that the priority bills are related to the government budget, public welfare and economic development.