The number of employees forced to take unpaid leave in the country’s industrial zones in February dropped to less than 3,000 from a peak of 227,000 last year, thanks to improved economic conditions at home and abroad, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said yesterday.
Wu added that the science-based parks created more than 14,000 jobs this year, while employees who were given unpaid leave in these high-tech centers totaled fewer than 60.
The premier made the comments at a ceremony held by the National Youth Commission in which the government honored banks that extended loans at preferential interest rates to young people seeking to set up their own businesses.
Wu said the preferential loans have served as a very effective way to improve the local employment market as new businesses set up by young people have provided new jobs.
He added that the government has also tried its best to stabilize the economy and shore up confidence during the economic crunch by providing insurance for all bank deposits and raising investment in public projects.
Later yesterday, Wu also visited the Hwa Ya Technology Park (華亞科技園區) in northern Taoyuan County, where he said the government would continue to boost the business sector’s willingness to invest by reducing the tax burden and eliminating bureaucracy.
He said Taiwan was strengthening its economic base and raising its competitiveness in the hope of extending its reach in the Asia-Pacific region and “setting up a global business network.”
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