Voucher scheme to be expanded to some categories of foreign residents
Small and Medium Enterprise Administration Director-General Ho Chin-tsan tells a news conference in Taipei yesterday about a plan to issue Triple Stimulus Vouchers to Alien Permanent Residential Certificate holders and foreign diplomats. APRC holders; those who have made special contributions to the nation; those with specific, high-level skills; foreign diplomats; foreign officials from international organizations or foreign government institutions; and other foreign staff have been added to those eligible for the vouchers. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Chuan-neng (林全能) said that the cost of the expanded voucher program is covered by existing funds. When asked about additional stimulus programs following the voucher program, Ting said that the government has no such plans. Some nations have issued subsidies for foreign nationals with work visas, but policies vary from country to country, he said, adding that reciprocity was not a consideration.
Source:Taipei Times
November 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
MOJ mulls clearer prohibition of torture by police
MOJ mulls clearer prohibition of torture by policeBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is working on a draft amendment to explicitely list “torture” as an offense, to deter its use by police and law enforcement officers while questioning suspects, the ministry said in a news release yesterday. “Use of torture is forbidden throughout the world, and its prohibition is affirmed in a number of international conventions. UN experts in 2017 recommended that Taiwan introduce legislation against torture, the ministry said, adding that it would seek to expand Article 125 of the Criminal Code with an explicit prohibition of torture. The entrance of the Ministry of Justice in Taipei is pictured yesterday. National Police Agency officials criticized the proposal, saying that it would lead to unsubstantiated torture accusations against law enforcement agencies.
Source:Taipei Times
November 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
Ministry denies reports on visit by US Marine Corps
Ministry denies reports on visit by US Marine CorpsBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of National Defense yesterday issued a statement refuting rumors that US Marine Corps members are to visit Taiwan to help train Taiwanese troops. Local media reports on Monday said that US instructors are to begin training Taiwanese marines and amphibious special force units in assault boat and speedboat infiltration operations for four weeks at the Zuoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung. US Department of Defense spokesman John Supple on Wednesday sent an e-mail to the US military’s Stars and Stripes newspaper to say that news reports about US Marines training Taiwanese soldiers are “inaccurate.”“The United States remains committed to our ‘one China’ policy,” Supple wrote. Ministry spokesman Major General Shih Shun-wen (史順文) yesterday said that rumors that the Marine Raiders, a special operations forces under the US Marine Corps, working with the Republic of China Marine Corps lacked factual basis, calling on the media and others not to propagate false information. The Republic of China Navy yesterday issued a statement, saying that scheduled exercises between Taiwan and the US are to commence normally, while declining to comment further on the issue.
Source:Taipei Times
November 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
Justice commission reveals extent of KMT surveillance
Justice commission reveals extent of KMT surveillanceBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Transitional Justice Commission yesterday presented a sixth batch of declassified Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) records at a forum in Taipei, with the contents showing abuse of power and violations of human rights extending up until the year 2000. The batch contained 77,000 files, mainly records of citizens targeted by the KMT, Commission Chairwoman Yang Tsui (楊翠) said, adding that most of them came from the archives of the Taiwan Provincial Police Division, the forerunner of the National Police Agency. Relatives of victims of the Martial Law era speak at an event organized by the Transitional Justice Commission in Taipei yesterday. “My father’s elder brother began farming in a remote mountain village, and they put him under surveillance. The KMT’s state apparatus clearly used huge resources ... to monitor suspected political dissidents,” she said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2020 16:00 UTC
Taiwan and US to hold economic talks
Taiwan and US to hold economic talks‘STRONG RELATIONSHIP’: A small delegation would travel to Washington for the talks, while other senior officials would join from Taipei via video conferenceBy Angelica Oung and Lin Chia-nan / Staff reportersTaiwan and the US are to hold talks on “strategic economic cooperation” in Washington on Friday next week, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in separate statements yesterday. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the date of the talks at a news briefing in Washington on Tuesday, saying: “The dialogue signifies that our economic relationship with Taiwan, a vibrant democracy and reliable partner, is strong and growing.”Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua talks to reporters after attending the Energy Summit Forum in Taipei yesterday. The US delegation would be headed by US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach, who visited Taipei in September. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi talks about Taiwan-US trade relations at an event in Taipei on Oct. 22. In other developments, Wang told reporters that “economic bubbles” for business travelers to Taiwan are “necessary for the Taiwanese economy.”“Face-to-face communication is still irreplaceable for serious investments and purchasing decisions,” Wang said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2020 16:00 UTC
Taiwan an investment, innovation haven: ECCT
Taiwan an investment, innovation haven: ECCTCHALLENGES: While lauding its success in handling the pandemic, the ECCT said Taiwan faces challenges, such as the US-China tensions and the rise of the gig economyBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan should seek to enhance innovation and promote itself as an international investment destination after effectively controlling the COVID-19 outbreak, the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) said at a news conference to present its annual position paper. “Taiwan has a unique opportunity to enhance innovation and promote it as an attractive investment destination, aided by its open society, a good geographical location, a reliable regulatory and legal system, abundant capital resources and a skilled workforce,” ECCT chairman Giuseppe Izzo said. The chamber lauded Taiwan’s commitment to an energy transition away from fossil fuels to sources of renewable energy, and the electrification of the transportation sector. The government should adopt a stricter approach in dealing with heavy industrial electricity users to promote renewable energy, the chamber said. Energy storage is a crucial component in energy policy panning given the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taishin confident of retaining lead in digital banking
“We currently have a total of 2.25 million digital savings accounts, which suggests a market share of more than 40 percent. With our award-winning Richart service, we are confident about maintaining our advantage,” said Oliver Shang (尚瑞強), president of Taishin International Bank (台新銀行), the banking arm of Taishin Financial. Taishin International Bank president Oliver Shang is pictured in an undated photograph. Taishin Bank reported a net profit of NT$3.53 billion (US$122.44 million) for last quarter, down 2 percent from a quarter earlier. Cushioned by the rising profit of Taishin Securities Co (台新證券), Taishin Financial’s net profit for the first three quarters slid 1 percent to NT$11.7 billion.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
Yageo reports net profit increase of 80 percent
Yageo reports net profit increase of 80 percentOUTLOOK: Demand would maximize value in the high-end automotive, industrial, medical, aerospace, 5G and Internet of Things segments, the company saidBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterYageo Corp (國巨), which makes passive components, on Tuesday reported that net profit for last quarter increased 80 percent from a year earlier and 10.1 percent from the previous quarter to NT$3.63 billion (US$125.91 million). Earnings per share (EPS) were NT$7.37, the highest in the past seven quarters, the company said in a statement. An exterior view of the headquarters of Yageo Corp in New Taipei City’s Sindian District is pictured in an undated photograph. “Tantalum capacitors are seeing surging demand from the rollout of new generations of products by the graphics processing unit [GPU] vendors, plus the launch of new game consoles,” JPMorgan said. “These new GPUs and game console processors utilize a lot more tantalum capacitors than the previous generations,” it said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
Singapore ‘seeking travel bubble’
Singapore ‘seeking travel bubble’SOLUTION: Taiwan would welcome travel bubble deals with other countries, but any deal must first be approved by the CECC, the transport minister saidBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterSingapore has shown an interest in forming a travel bubble with Taiwan, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday, adding that the government is in talks with Vietnam and Japan about similar deals. Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung answers lawmakers’ questions at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee in Taipei yesterday. Lin said that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) would decide if Taiwan’s travel restrictions should be eased or lifted. Lin also told the committee that Singapore has been seeking a travel bubble deal with Taiwan and has contacted several government agencies, adding that he would soon meet with its local trade representative. Taiwan is also in talks with Vietnam and Japan about forming travel bubbles with them, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
EDITORIAL: Taking traffic safety seriously
EDITORIAL: Taking traffic safety seriouslyIn the first eight months of this year, 142 accidents involving scooters along Minquan E Road led to death or injury, according to Taipei City Police Department data cited in a report published on Tuesday by the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). Traffic accidents have long been a major cause of death in Taiwan, and something that has not been rectified despite the attention the issue has received from legislators. A report published on March 30 showed an average of eight deaths per day from traffic accidents last year, with more than 457,382 people killed or injured in total. Citing government officials, Pajunen wrote that “the main problem with enforcing Taiwan’s ample traffic laws is the immense labor force needed. Taoyuan police on Monday installed a smart traffic camera that recorded 812 illegal lane changes and other infractions in just one day.
Source:Taipei Times
November 07, 2020 16:07 UTC
Taiwan in Time: Thrown in ‘song jail’
Fong Fei-fei’s album Rose, Rose I Love You was released in December 1978, a month after her singer’s permit was suspended. A notable case involved pop diva Yao Su-jung (姚蘇蓉), who had her permit suspended for two years in 1969 after being arrested while performing the banned song Heartless Person (負心的人). The authorities simply found it too “emotional and despondent,” and would “negatively affect the spirit of the people.”Yao Su-jung left Taiwan after her singer’s permit was suspended for two years. When the singers’ permits were suspended for whatever reason, people would say that they were in “song jail” (歌監), Kuan writes. A photo of late singer Teresa Teng’s singer’s permit.
Source:Taipei Times
November 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taichung’s MRT to start four weeks of test runs
Taichung’s MRT to start four weeks of test runsFIRST OF FOUR: The Green Line is to link some of the city’s transport hubs, while feasibility studies for a second line are under way, the MRT company saidStaff writer, with CNAThe first line of Taichung’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system could start trial runs within a week, allowing people to travel for free, the Taichung City Government said on Friday, after it received final operational approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. Two trains of the Taichung Mass Rapid Transit system are parked at a station on Aug. 28. Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei TimesThe MRT Taichung Green Line has 18 stations and is scheduled to start commercial operations by the end of this year, after 11 years of construction, the city government said. Costs for the Green Line totaled NT$59.3 billion (US$2.05 billion), with NT$32.8 billion funded by the central government. Non-compliance with the Autonomous Regulations of Low-carbon City Development in Taichung City (臺中市發展低碳城市自治條例), which are to be imposed next year, would result in a verbal warning in the first instance, and fines from NT$1,200 to NT$6,000 for further contraventions.
Source:Taipei Times
November 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
National security fears raised over seizure of bullets
National security fears raised over seizure of bulletsSERIES OF PACKAGES? The shipment arrived on Oct. 29 at the warehouse, where the CIB conducted a search and found the illegal ammunition, the CIB said. While the order was for 100,000 shotgun shells, the shipment contained only 83,300, with the leftover space filled with 9mm bullets, it said. The Liberty Times quoted national security officials as saying that the case prompted concern amid a protracted US election and the increased frequency of Chinese military airplanes entering Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. While improvised firearms are comparatively easy to make or acquire, making bullets requires specialized knowledge and equipment, making it rare in Taiwan, the report said, citing police officials.
Source:Taipei Times
November 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
Up to 75% of mushrooms contain lead: survey
Up to 75% of mushrooms contain lead: surveyBy Yang Mien-chieh and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNAUp to 75 percent of dried Brazilian Murill mushrooms in markets in Taipei and New Taipei City contain excessive levels of heavy metals, with some containing amounts five to 7.5 times higher than the legal maximum, the Consumers’ Foundation said on Monday. Nine of the latter 12 samples were found to contain levels of lead or cadmium higher than the standards set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ling said. Dried mushrooms are displayed at a news conference held by the Consumers’ Foundation in Taipei on Monday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesAmong them, one contained lead levels greater than the legal maximum of 3mg/kg, he added. The government should improve inspection protocols, the foundation said, adding that people should rather buy locally grown mushrooms instead of imported ones.
Source:Taipei Times
November 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
Tsai undermining peace efforts, Ma Ying-jeou says
“It was for building a ‘bridge for peace’ for dialogue between the two sides of the Strait,” Ma said of the meeting. Former president Ma Ying-jeou yesterday speaks at a Ma Ying-jeou Foundation forum in Taipei marking the fifth anniversary of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. I was the one who built up this ‘bridge for peace,’ in the hopes of guiding future leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to walk along the ‘boulevard of peace,’” Ma said. “I implore Tsai, if she cannot present an alternative policy, then she should accept the ‘1992 consensus,’ which can lead to negotiations for peace with China, and Taiwanese can live in peace,” he said. In his address, Ma also called on China to stop military provocations against Taiwan with Chinese military aircraft incursions.
Source:Taipei Times
November 07, 2020 15:56 UTC