Print

Mail

wiki links

Business Briefs

Shares close higher

Taiwanese shares prices closed 1.07 percent higher yesterday on regional market gains and a government bid to ease curbs on local firms investing in China, dealers said.

The TAIEX rose 79.19 points to 7,509.17 on turnover of NT$125.24 billion (US$3.89 billion).

Gainers outnumbered losers 1,759 to 751, while 203 shares were unchanged.

The market opened slightly higher and gained momentum as investors continued to push semiconductor share prices higher. Despite the market’s continued rise, analysts forecast a correction following the breach of the 7,500-point level.

“The positive factors of the fourth quarter which investors have referred to have been reflected in prices,” said Alex Huang (黃國偉) of Mega International Investment Services (兆豐國際投信), adding 7,500 could be “the peak of the year.”

Vouchers remain uncashed

More than NT$1.8 billion (US$56.2 million) in consumption vouchers remained uncashed as of yesterday, the last day before they were due to expire, the latest statistics released by the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) showed.

Nearly NT$190 million in vouchers were cashed on Tuesday, the statistics showed.

The economic stimulus package, launched amid the worldwide economic recession and financial crisis, saw the government issuing NT$3,600 in consumption vouchers to every citizen from Jan. 18, a move intended to stimulate private spending.

As of Tuesday, vouchers worth NT$81.45 billion had been cashed, accounting for 97.82 percent of the total NT$83.265 billion issued, CEPD tallies showed.

Cross-strait MOU expected

Taiwan and China are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cross-strait cooperation on financial supervision next month, Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance chairman Shea Jia-dong (許嘉棟) said yesterday.

“The signing of such an MOU has been delayed for a long time because of its political sensitivity rather than because of difficulties encountered by the two sides in working out its contents,” Shea said without elaborating.

Kaohsiung gas unit to close

State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) will close a gasoline-producing unit at its Kaohsiung plant for three months, a company official said.

The fluid catalytic cracker will be shut early this month, said an official, who declined to be identified because of company policy. The unit is able to process 25,000 barrels of fuel a day, according to data previously provided by CPC.

Japan sets travel fair record

Consumers may prefer to cut down on their spending and choose not to travel far this year, but the upcoming Taipei International Travel Fair hopes to change their minds.

This year, there are a total of 58 countries taking part in the fair, with the Japan Pavilion making a new record with 74 booths, the organizer, Taiwan Visitors Association (台灣觀光協會), said in a statement yesterday.

First timers to the exposition include the Republic of Maldives, Croatia and the Republic of Tunisia. The Travel Fair’s booths were all filled in May, just two months after registration opened, the statement said.

The fair will be held at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. The fair ushered in a total of 210,000 visitors last year. Despite the conservative spending sentiment, Taiwan Visitors Association hopes to draw around 200,000 people this year.
This story has been viewed 687 times.