Print

Mail

wiki links

[BUSINESS BRIEFS]

Corning hires massage workers

Corning Display Technologies Taiwan Co has hired two massage therapists to work at its plant in Tainan County on a regular basis to help its employees relax, a county official said yesterday.

The unusual hire was part of the Tainan County Government’s efforts to encourage local companies to provide job opportunities to the visually impaired, said Yu Pao-hsien (余保憲), head of the county’s Department of Labor Affairs.

The two massage therapists are blind. It is common in Taiwan to have blind people employed in this profession.

The company is the first local company to respond to the county government’s appeal, Yu said.

The blind workers, who are from a local blind welfare association, will offer 10-minute massages to the company’s employees at the plant in the Southern Taiwan Science Park by appointment every Wednesday, Yu said.

Government sells 5-year notes

The government sold NT$30 billion (US$987 million) in five-year notes at a yield of 2.52 percent, the central bank said in a statement yesterday.

The auction attracted bids for 2.69 times the amount of debt on offer, compared with a bid-to-cover ratio of 1.48 times at the previous auction of similar-dated debt on April 15, the statement said. The yield at the previous sale was 2.245 percent.

Stocks fall over pollution

Taiwan Cement Corp (台灣水泥), the nation’s biggest producer, fell to its lowest in 11 months in Taipei trading after a radio report said the company faces protests at a factory because of pollution concerns.

Shares fell 6.5 percent to NT$36.95, the lowest since Aug. 17 last year.

The Taipei-based company had the third biggest decline on the exchange yesterday.

Residents of Suao Township (蘇澳) in Ilan County will stage protests if the government fails to stop Taiwan Cement from using waste solvents from semiconductors companies as fuel for its kilns by the end of this month, a report from the Broadcasting Corp of China said.

Waste solvents, which are transported from chip companies in Hsinchu and Tainan industrial parks, pollute the air, the report said.

Festival to promote tourism

The 2008 Yujing Township Mango Festival will begin tomorrow at Yujing Elementary School in Tainan County, with three days of fun to promote local tourism that will highlight the southern township’s reputation as “the hometown of mangoes.”

Officials from the township administration said the main focus of the festival was a garden party, where freshly picked Irwin mangoes would be on display for auction and free tasting.

In conjunction with the auctions, the organizers will hold an exhibition on the local mango industry, a flower show, an exhibition of various other agricultural products and a range of fun activities, including a Mango Cup softball tournament, a singing contest, a painting contest, a table tennis tourney and various dance performances.

Last year, Taiwan exported 15,000 tonnes of fresh mangoes to Singapore and Hong Kong, with Japan and South Korea each buying about half that amount.

NT dollar gains on greenback

The NT dollar gained against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, edging up NT$0.008 to close at NT$30.382.

A total of US$917 million changed hands during the day’s trading.


This story has been viewed 844 times.