■ Central science park booming
The Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區) reported yesterday that business revenue in the first eight months of this year reached NT$101.2 billion (US$3.08 billion), up 316 percent from the same period last year.
Park officials said annual revenue could reach the targeted goal of NT$120 billion this year and could even break NT$150 billion.
The officials said NT$101.2 billion in revenue in the first eight months compares with NT$50.55 million in the whole of 2004 and NT$60.89 billion for last year.
Opto-electronics manufacturers recorded the highest revenue at around NT$90.9 billion and accounted for 89.8 percent of the total, followed by semiconductor manufacturers at around NT$10 billion, accounting for 9.89 percent.
Park revenues are expected to double to NT$240 billion next year, the officials said.
■ NT drops on growth concerns
The New Taiwan dollar dropped to the weakest this year on concern economic growth will slow and tension across the Taiwan Strait will increase.
The central bank on Thursday said there is "weak domestic demand" after raising the benchmark interest rate for a ninth straight time to 2.625 percent. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Thursday said Taiwan and China are different countries.
"It's the politics in Taiwan that isn't attractive and is a concern for investors," said Steve Rowles, a currency strategist at CFC Seymour Ltd in Hong Kong.
The NT dollar fell NT$0.106 to NT$33.098 against the US dollar on the Taipei foreign exchange. Turnover was US$1.046 billion.
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