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).
SETBACK: Apple’s India iPhone push has been disrupted after Foxconn recalled hundreds of Chinese engineers, amid Beijing’s attempts to curb tech transfers Apple Inc assembly partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known internationally as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), has recalled about 300 Chinese engineers from a factory in India, the latest setback for the iPhone maker’s push to rapidly expand in the country. The extraction of Chinese workers from the factory of Yuzhan Technology (India) Private Ltd, a Hon Hai component unit, in southern Tamil Nadu state, is the second such move in a few months. The company has started flying in Taiwanese engineers to replace staff leaving, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named, as the
The prices of gasoline and diesel at domestic fuel stations are to rise NT$0.1 and NT$0.4 per liter this week respectively, after international crude oil prices rose last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) announced yesterday. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to rise to NT$27.3, NT$28.8 and NT$30.8 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said in separate statements. The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$26.2 per liter at CPC stations and NT$26 at Formosa pumps, they said. The announcements came after international crude oil prices
DOLLAR SIGNS: The central bank rejected claims that the NT dollar had appreciated 10 percentage points more than the yen or the won against the greenback The New Taiwan dollar yesterday fell for a sixth day to its weakest level in three months, driven by equity-related outflows and reactions to an economics official’s exchange rate remarks. The NT dollar slid NT$0.197, or 0.65 percent, to close at NT$30.505 per US dollar, central bank data showed. The local currency has depreciated 1.97 percent so far this month, ranking as the weakest performer among Asian currencies. Dealers attributed the retreat to foreign investors wiring capital gains and dividends abroad after taking profit in local shares. They also pointed to reports that Washington might consider taking equity stakes in chipmakers, including Taiwan Semiconductor
A German company is putting used electric vehicle batteries to new use by stacking them into fridge-size units that homes and businesses can use to store their excess solar and wind energy. This week, the company Voltfang — which means “catching volts” — opened its first industrial site in Aachen, Germany, near the Belgian and Dutch borders. With about 100 staff, Voltfang says it is the biggest facility of its kind in Europe in the budding sector of refurbishing lithium-ion batteries. Its CEO David Oudsandji hopes it would help Europe’s biggest economy ween itself off fossil fuels and increasingly rely on climate-friendly renewables. While
RSS