Whoever is named to be minister of economic affairs in the next Cabinet reshuffle faces a number of challenges, including the realization of the 10 Major Infrastructure Projects and strengthening cross-strait business ties, pundits said yesterday.
Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu (
Since Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i (林信義), who doubled as the CEPD's chairman, also tendered his resignation yesterday, some observers said the chance for Ho to be named chairwoman in the upcoming reshuffle could not be ruled out.
Wherever she goes, Ho seems to be very popular within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government -- an administration which has been criticized for its lack of talent in the areas of economics and trade.
"It is difficult to coordinate various government departments, but I think Ho has done a good job [as council vice chairman]," Kung Ming-hsin (
"Ho is a good candidate [for the economics ministry]," Kung said.
As for the strengthening of the cross-strait business ties, Kung said that is a policy area set by the Cabinet.
Ho, 53, entered the ministry in 1975 when she joined the Industrial Development Bureau as a technician. She was promoted to deputy director general of the bureau in 1994. She served as a counselor to the Cabinet in 1997 and then became CEPD vice-chairperson in 2000.
During her tenure, Ho proposed and pushed forward several major policies, including a NT$20 billion program for creating public-service jobs to help ease unemployment.
Another major accomplishment was the planning of free-trade ports. Keelung Harbor and Kaohsiung Port have both obtained free-trade port status. Keelung will start free-trade operations in September, while Kaohsiung will begin next year.
Last December Ho proposed a NT$500 billion stimulus package to boost economic growth to 5 percent this year.
Another industry representative said he gave Ho high marks for her expertise and efforts to promote economic policies.
"Ho has a deep understanding of industry from her work in the Industrial Development Bureau for more than 20 years," said Tony Hsu (
Other possible candidates for the ministerial position include China Steel Corp (中鋼) chairman Lin Wen-yuan (林文淵), Taiwan Power Co (台電) chairman Lin Neng-pai (林能白) and Taiwan External Trade Development Council chairman Hsu Chih-jen (許志仁).
To many, Tatu City on the outskirts of Nairobi looks like a success. The first city entirely built by a private company to be operational in east Africa, with about 25,000 people living and working there, it accounts for about two-thirds of all foreign investment in Kenya. Its low-tax status has attracted more than 100 businesses including Heineken, coffee brand Dormans, and the biggest call-center and cold-chain transport firms in the region. However, to some local politicians, Tatu City has looked more like a target for extortion. A parade of governors have demanded land worth millions of dollars in exchange
An Indonesian animated movie is smashing regional box office records and could be set for wider success as it prepares to open beyond the Southeast Asian archipelago’s silver screens. Jumbo — a film based on the adventures of main character, Don, a large orphaned Indonesian boy facing bullying at school — last month became the highest-grossing Southeast Asian animated film, raking in more than US$8 million. Released at the end of March to coincide with the Eid holidays after the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the movie has hit 8 million ticket sales, the third-highest in Indonesian cinema history, Film
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) revenue jumped 48 percent last month, underscoring how electronics firms scrambled to acquire essential components before global tariffs took effect. The main chipmaker for Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp reported monthly sales of NT$349.6 billion (US$11.6 billion). That compares with the average analysts’ estimate for a 38 percent rise in second-quarter revenue. US President Donald Trump’s trade war is prompting economists to retool GDP forecasts worldwide, casting doubt over the outlook for everything from iPhone demand to computing and datacenter construction. However, TSMC — a barometer for global tech spending given its central role in the
Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designer specializing in server chips, expects revenue to decline this year due to sagging demand for 5-nanometer artificial intelligence (AI) chips from a North America-based major customer, a company executive said yesterday. That would be the first contraction in revenue for Alchip as it has been enjoying strong revenue growth over the past few years, benefiting from cloud-service providers’ moves to reduce dependence on Nvidia Corp’s expensive AI chips by building their own AI accelerator by outsourcing chip design. The 5-nanometer chip was supposed to be a new growth engine as the lifecycle
RSS