Economy gets `green light'
The index of leading economic indicators fell slightly in December from a month earlier, reflecting cautious sentiment towards the economic outlook for the next three to six months, the Council for Economic Planning and Devel-opment said Friday.
Out of the seven leading indictors, wholesale prices in December were up from six months earlier, while year-on-year growth in orders placed to the local manufacturing sector in December improved from growth of the previous month.
The December composite indicator came in a "green light" level for the ninth months in a row, showing the economic growth remained stable, the council said.
UMC CEO becomes SiS chair
United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) named chief executive officer John Hsuan (宣明智) as chairman of Silicon Integrated System Corp (矽統), solidifying control over its former rival.
Hsuan replaces Samuel Liu (劉曉明), and United Microelectronics chairman Robert Tsao (曹興誠) will join Silicon Integrated's board of directors, Silicon Integrated said in a statement.
UMC this month increased its stake in Silicon Integrated to 15.8 percent by buying shares from the local market and overseas.
NT dollar rises
The New Taiwan dollar yesterday traded higher against its US counterpart, rising NT$0.015 to close at NT$34.560 on the Taipei foreign exchange market. Turnover was US$550 million.
Agencies
Taiwan Transport and Storage Corp (TTS, 台灣通運倉儲) yesterday unveiled its first electric tractor unit — manufactured by Volvo Trucks — in a ceremony in Taipei, and said the unit would soon be used to transport cement produced by Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台灣水泥). Both TTS and TCC belong to TCC International Holdings Ltd (台泥國際集團). With the electric tractor unit, the Taipei-based cement firm would become the first in Taiwan to use electric vehicles to transport construction materials. TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi (辜公怡), Volvo Trucks vice president of sales and marketing Johan Selven, TCC president Roman Cheng (程耀輝) and Taikoo Motors Group
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