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Science park performance signals recovery: council

BACK TO BUSINESS: The number of employees taking unpaid leave at the nation’s three major science parks dropped sharply as of the end of last month, the NSC said

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Thursday, Oct 08, 2009, Page 11

The assessment was part of a report delivered by NSC Deputy Minister Chen Lih-juann (陳力俊) on the performance of the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), Southern Taiwan Science Park (南部科學園區) and Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區) between January and August.

The number of workers on unpaid leave at the three science parks had dropped sharply to 2,377 as of the end of last month, down 98 percent compared to the record high of about 130,000 in January, Chen said.

In January, employees on unpaid leave accounted for 66 percent of the total workforce at the three parks, but as of Sept. 30, the percentage was only 1.2, Chen said.

TURNOVER

Meanwhile, business turnover at the parks totaled NT$930.3 billion (US$28.91 billion), which represented monthly growth of 11.7 percent, he said.

In August alone, business turnover was NT$154 billion, about 94 percent of the year-earlier level, he said.

After the global financial crisis broke in September last year, turnover at the parks dropped significantly, hitting a low of NT$71.9 billion in January, less than half the level of a year earlier, figures compiled by the NSC show.

Monthly turnover at the parks in the first half of last year was between NT$160 billion and NT$170 billion, the statistics showed.

Overall turnover at the three parks likely rebounded last month to its level before the global financial crisis erupted, Chen said.

The NSC also adjusted upward its forecast for business turnover at the three parks this year to NT$1.59 trillion from the NT$1.41 trillion it had projected in August.

The total investment in new projects at the three parks during the first eight months of this year was 96.6 percent of the amount for the same period last year, while the capital increase in existing projects during the period was in excess of last year’s level, the tallies show.

INVESTMENT CAPITAL

Between January and August, Chen said, 40 new investment projects worth NT$41.45 billion were approved for the three parks, while 37 companies increased their investment capital in existing projects by a total of NT$87.74 billion.

In July and August, 20 newly approved companies became operational at the parks, while 17 fims increased their investment capital, Chen said. The value of the new investment and capital increase in existing projects was NT$114.58 billion, 24 times the amount for January and February, he said.

In addition, electricity and water usage at the parks increased by 26 percent and 63 percent in August respectively, compared with January, Chen said.

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