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Semiconductor output up
The output of the nation's semiconductor industry is expected to rise by 9.8 percent this year on support for the wafer foundry, integrated circuit (IC) packaging and testing sectors, a report released by the Industrial Development Bureau said yesterday.
It said the semiconductor industry is expected to churn out NT$1.23 trillion (US$37.39 billion) in output this year, compared with NT$1.12 trillion last year.
Output from the nation's IC industry last year was up about 1.8 percent from 2004's NT$1.1 trillion.
Last year, Taiwan ranked as the largest contract microchip producer and IC packaging and testing service provider in the world.

BenQ pulls plug on Cebit
BenQ Corp (明基), lagging behind in a target to return its mobile-phone division to profitability, pulled out of the world's largest technology exhibition in Germany to save marketing costs by focusing on more specialized events.
Taipei, Taiwan-based BenQ will no longer have a stand at next year's Cebit show, to be held in March in Hanover, Germany, the company said yesterday. This year was the first time BenQ showed its phones at Cebit after taking over Siemens AG's unprofitable handset division last year.
The decision is part of a plan by BenQ Mobile head Clemens Joos to cut costs and follows job cuts and office closures. BenQ said last month it would not meet its goal of returning the handsets to profit this year because some new models were delayed.

FSC stays with mortgages
Financial Supervisory Commission officials denied yesterday that it said the Cabinet should stop a preferential housing mortgage program after businesses expressed opposition to any suspension.
The commission and other agencies including the central bank instead suggested that the Cabinet continue offering home buyers preferential loans amounting to NT$13 billion through the banks, the financial regulator said in a statement released yesterday.
Lenders could engage in the preferential mortgage business if the aggregate amount of lending to home buyers and developers does not reach the regulatory ceiling of 30 percent of the total deposit and bank debenture, it said.

Hon Hai denies report
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, denied a report that it plans to buy a stake in local computer retailer Sunfar Computer Co (順發電腦).
The Commercial Times had reported yesterday that Hon Hai may buy a 30 percent stake in Sunfar to help build an electronics retail chain in China, without citing any sources. Discussions between the two companies were in the final stages, the paper said.

Bowa to merge with Asia Trust
The Bowa Bank (寶華銀行) board has approved its merger with Asia Trust (亞洲信託) via a share swap, the bank said in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday.
The filing said that 2.23 shares of Asia Trust will be exchanged for one share of Bowa.
The merger will be effective Dec. 31, when Bowa, the surviving entity, will assume Asia Trust's assets and liabilities and ongoing legal matters, it said.
Bowa also plans to issue 200.81 million common shares at NT$10 per share to raise NT$2.01 billion, according to the filing.
The two firms, which are in the red, hope to expand business and enhance efficiency through the merger, the filing said.

NT dollar strengthens
The New Taiwan dollar gained against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, rising NT$0.006 to close at NT$32.930 on turnover of US$632 million.


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