Taipower to issue bondsBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterTaiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) yesterday announced a plan to issue NT$17.65 billion (US$623.6 million) of unsecured corporate bonds next month, as the state-run utility aims to raise funds to build new liquefied natural gas (LNG) generators at the Taichung Power Plant, a combined-cycle LNG generator project in Taoyuan’s Datan Power Plant, the 7th Transmission and Substation Project as well as other investments. The debt would comprise NT$3.4 billion of five-year bonds with a yield of 0.45 percent, NT$10.55 billion of seven-year bonds with a yield of 0.55 percent and NT$3.7 billion of 10-year bonds with a yield of 0.62 percent, Taipower said in a statement. The entrance to Taiwan Power Co headquarters is pictured in Taipei on June 7, 2018. Photo: Lin Jing-hua, Taipei TimesThe power generation projects would increase the diversity and strength of Taiwan’s power supply, Taipower said. Inaugurated on Saturday, the transmission line, which spans 105 towers across 40km, is running at full capacity, Taipower said, adding that it would help stabilize the electricity supply in northern Taiwan.

An overview of the cultural history portion of the National Taiwan Museum exhibition, Exploring Taiwan. Fossils are displayed in the natural history portion of the National Taiwan Museum exhibition, Exploring Taiwan. Photo: Han Cheung, Taipei TimesBoth sides of the exhibition end with a MIT (Made In Taiwan) display, arranging the letters with mini models of the natural creatures of Taiwan (pineapple and Formosan magpie) and its human-made products (including bubble tea). We often forget how unique Taiwan is, especially during these times when it’s difficult to travel overseas, and this show reminds us to appreciate Taiwan more. Photo: Han Cheung, Taipei TimesViewers of a nature video can enjoy the company of a Formosan black bear and a clouded leopard.

Taipei Fubon becomes first domestic bank to issue SLLBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterTaipei Fubon Commercial Bank (台北富邦銀行) yesterday approved a three-year sustainability-linked loan (SLL) to audio electronics maker Merry Electronics Co (美律實業), the first such loan granted by a local bank. DBS Bank Taiwan (星展銀行) provided NT$2 billion (US$70.66 million at the current exchange rate) of SLLs to AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) in 2019, followed by HSBC Bank (Taiwan) Ltd’s (匯豐台灣商銀) two SLLs totaling NT$450 million to Taya Group (大亞集團) and Sinbon Electronics Co (信邦電子) last year. A Taipei Fubon Bank sign is pictured in Kaohsiung on July 11, 2015. Photo: CNALike HSBC Taiwan and DBS Taiwan, Taipei Fubon would lower the loan’s interest rate if the borrower’s sustainability performance improves, which includes greenhouse gas emissions, power management and energy efficiency, the bank told the Taipei Times. HSBC Taiwan also encouraged its borrowers to use the loans for their operations related to green energy or greenhouse emissions reduction, but Taipei Fubon said it has no such requirements.

Hiyes International revenue more than doubles on demand in Hsinchu, TainanBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterHiyes International Co (海悅國際開發), the nation’s largest housing broker, on Friday said its revenue last month more than doubled from a year earlier to NT$478 million (US$16.89 million), driven mainly by demand for housing in Hsinchu and Tainan. The monthly figure was the second-highest next only to December last year’s NT$536 million, Hiyes said in a statement. Photo: Hsieh Wu-hsiung, Taipei TimesDemand for new housing is strong near technology clusters in Hsinchu and Tainan, where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) has announced plans to build new foundries to make advanced chips, Hiyes said. Stable economic growth also lends support to the property market, boosting demand for housing in New Taipei City, Taipei and Kaohsiung. The first quarter, normally the low season for the housing market, might fare well this time around, Hiyes said.

GIS Holding benefits from tablet, notebook demandBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterGIS Holding Ltd (業成), which supplies touch modules for Apple Inc’s iPads and MacBooks, yesterday said its net profit last year grew 10 percent annually, benefiting from increased demand for notebook computers and tablets as the stay-at-home trend persisted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Net profit rose to NT$3.73 billion (US$131.79 million), compared with NT$3.39 billion in 2019, the company said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Photo: Chen Mei-ying, Taipei TimesEarnings per share rose to NT$11.04 last year from NT$10.02 the prior year. The Miaoli-based company has aimed to increase shipments of higher-definition touch modules equipped with mini-LED backlights for tablets and OLED touch modules for smartphones. Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said GIS has benefited from pandemic-driven demand for notebook computers and tablets with touch modules, with a revenue contribution of 75 to 80 percent.

PMI data aim to capture the health of the manufacturing industry, with scores lower than 50 indicating contraction and values above the neutral threshold signaling expansion. Photo: Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times“Holiday disruptions accounted for the month-on-month retreat, which is harmless, as firms expressed clear order visibility for the coming six months,” CIER president Chang Chuang-chang (張傳章) told a media briefing. Hiring activity hovered at a similar level of 58, or 0.5 points lower from one month earlier. Customers’ inventory level was 44.5, 1.3 points lower from one month earlier. Purchasing activity among non-manufacturing firms last month showed a similar pattern of losing some steam with a reading of 52.1, 2.9 points lower than in January, CIER said.

Johnny Chiang marks first year as chairmanREFLECTING ON SERVICE: Over the past year, the KMT has worked to rebuild public trust, while reflecting on past setbacks and working to break down prejudices, he saidBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday stressed unity in a message on Facebook to mark one year since he was elected chairman. Chiang defeated former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) on March 7 last year in a by-election to replace former KMT chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who stepped down from the position following the party’s losses in last year’s Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, center, poses at the leadership handover ceremony of the KMT Department of Youth Affairs in Nantou County on Saturday. Photo: Liu Pin-chuan, Taipei TimesChiang, who served his mandatory military service in Kinmen County, wrote on Facebook that he often recalled watching the waves off the coast of Kinmen over his past year as KMT chairman. Chiang, who has been a legislator since 2012, on Feb. 20 announced he would seek re-election in this year’s KMT chairperson election.

Japanese unveil plaque in memory of disaster aidStaff writer, with CNAA group of Japanese residents yesterday unveiled a stone plaque in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) in commemoration of Taiwan’s assistance following an earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. The plaque, funded by Japanese residents in Taiwan, is inscribed with Japanese and Chinese text that memorializes the “unprecedented” Great East Japan Earthquake and Taiwan’s aid in its aftermath. Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei TimesThe plaque was put up on Tamsui Old Street (淡水老街), a popular tourist area lined with eateries and shops. A commemorative ceremony was held by a group of Japanese residents to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster. Each year since 2011, a group of Japanese and Taiwanese university students in Taiwan, called Arigatou Taiwan, has been holding an event in commemoration of the disaster.

Meeting over algal reef canceledBy Tung Chen-kuo and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA meeting planned for today between Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) and an environmental group campaigning for a referendum against a planned liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal has been canceled, the organization said yesterday. The Rescue Datan’s Algal Reefs Alliance launched the campaign last year in response to the planned LNG terminal to be built off the coast of Datan Borough (大潭) in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音). Artist Chu Hann-yi, center, in Taoyuan yesterday presents a painting of his to Rescue Datan’s Algal Reefs Alliance convener Pan Chong-cheng, third left, to thank Pan and other volunteers for their efforts toward preserving the reefs. In another statement issued later, the alliance said it would consider a meeting with Chen “at an appropriate time,” as the planned meeting was hastily put together, leaving members little time to hold internal discussions. The idea of promoting a referendum to save the algal reefs, as well as meeting with Chen to discuss it, were both his own ideas, Ho said, adding that he was saddened to see the alliance cancel the meeting.

FSC forecasts non-cash payment to rise to NT$6tn in 2023By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe total of non-cash payments for private consumption might rise to NT$6 trillion (US$212.2 billion) in Taiwan in 2023, up from NT$3.85 trillion last year, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said on Thursday. The FSC has previously recorded payments by credit cards, stored-value cards such as EasyCard and iPass card, as well as electronic payment services Jkopay and Line Pay Money as non-cash payments, the commission said. If these transfers were considered in last year’s data, non-cash payment for private consumption would be NT$4.95 trillion, or 51.5 percent of total payments, he said. As more people prefer electronic payment tools and credit cards, non-cash payments might rise to NT$6 trillion in 2023, Lin said. More non-cash payments would benefit the economy in multiple aspects, as non-cash tools are more transparent and efficient, and the cost of producing coins and paper money would drop, he said.

Water levels in south remain lowStaff writer, with CNAWater levels in many of the nation’s reservoirs remain low, despite a weather system dumping significant rain in northern Taiwan last week. Several major reservoirs in central and southern Taiwan, where the water shortage has been the most serious, were still at low capacity yesterday, Water Resources Agency (WRA) data showed. As of 10am, the Baoshan Second Reservoir (寶二水庫), which provides water for the Hsinchu Science Park, was at 12 percent capacity. Taoist priests and worshipers pray to the sea goddess Matsu for rain at Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung’s Dajia District yesterday. To cope with the drought, tap water pressure in Hsinchu County, Miaoli and Taichung has been lowered, and water would be trucked from Taoyuan to Hsinchu, the agency said.

Acer given ‘stable’ credit outlook‘FASTER GROWTH’: Acer, which has a 6.9 percent share of the global PC market, could take advantage of the growing Chromebook demand to retain its placeBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterTaiwan Ratings Corp (中華信評) on Thursday affirmed its long-term “twA” and short-term “twA-1”’ credit ratings for Acer Inc (宏碁), with a stable credit outlook for the PC vendor. The credit rating of a corporation is a financial indicator to potential investors of debt securities such as bonds. “However, Acer could take advantage of fast-growing gaming PC and Chromebook demand to sustain its market share with moderately strengthening profitability over the next two years,” it added. Acer secured a 6.9 percent share of the global PC market last year, up from 6.4 percent in 2019, International Data Corp has said. Acer remains positive for the global PC market this year, as PC demand is still far greater than supply, chairman Jason Chen (陳俊聖) said on Wednesday, local Chinese-language media reported.

The KMT, food and trade agreementsThe main opposition party has consistently used food and trade to sour Taiwan’s relations with the US and Japan in favor of ChinaBy Michael Turton / Contributing reporterIn September last year the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) launched its campaign for a public referendum to ban the importation of pork products containing ractopamine. The KMT was ostensibly responding to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) decision to open Taiwan’s markets to US pork products containing ractopamine. Legislators from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in November last year dump pig guts on the floor of the legislature. IMPORTS FROM FUKUSHIMAChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) then-chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, front third right, attends a demonstration along Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard in December 2016 against the proposed lifting of a ban on food imports from five Japanese prefectures. Photo: CNAThis is not the first time that the KMT has drummed up a campaign against food imports in the midst of trade talks.

Hon Hai records its best sales figure for FebruaryStaff writer, with CNAHon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), a key supplier to Apple Inc, on Thursday said its sales last month soared 84.81 percent annually to NT$401.89 billion (US$14.21 billion), its highest-ever figure for February. A Foxconn Technology Group logo is pictured at the ceremonial opening of the Hon Hai Research Institute in Taipei on Jan. 4. Photo: Chen Rou-chen, Taipei TimesHowever, as last month had fewer working days than January, Hon Hai’s consolidated sales dropped 19.66 percent from NT$500.22 billion a month earlier. Hon Hai said its consumer electronics division was the best performer on a month-on-month basis, followed by its cloud technology-based device division, computers and related devices division, and its electronic components division. Compared with a year earlier, its consumer electronics operations was the best performer last month, ahead of the electronic components operations, computer and related operations, and cloud technology-based operations, Hon Hai said.

Demonstrators remember 1959 Tibetan uprisingANNUAL RALLY: Politicians urged Taiwanese to support Tibetans, and to never stop pursuing democracy and freedom in the face of the Chinese Communist PartyBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterMore than 100 demonstrators yesterday marched in Taipei ahead of the 62nd anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising, with several politicians calling on Taiwanese to show support for Tibetans. Demonstrators carried the Tibetan flag and held signs reading: “Tibet belongs to Tibetans,” “Free Tibet” and “Stop killing in Tibet.”Yesterday’s Tibetan Uprising Day rally was the 18th to be held in Taiwan, organizers said. Members of the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association and other groups in Taipei yesterday hold flags during a rally commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Protesters hold flags, banners and a picture of the Dalai Lama at a parade in Taipei yesterday commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Protesters prostrate themselves in a traditional Tibetan act of worship at a protest in Taipei yesterday commemorating the victims of the 1959 Tibetan uprising.