Council for Economic Planning and Development Minister Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘) yesterday confirmed that the nation’s first free economic demonstration zone will be set up in Greater Kaohsiung.
Yiin told a media briefing that a preliminary plan for the zone, where the government will grant free movement of capital, personnel, goods and information, will be available between October and November.
The government has viewed the free economic demonstration zone as a pilot project in preparation for the nation’s accession to a future Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc. In March, Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) said the plan should be ready in about a year.
Yiin said the plan would not focus on a specific industry for the development zone. He did not discount the possibility of setting up more economic demonstration zones in the future.
In related news, the Ministry of Finance is launching a second-round auction for a land development project covering more than 10,000 ping (33,000m2) on Taipei’s Roosevelt Road, between Wanlong MRT Station and Jingmei MRT Station.
The project is expected to be developed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Under the ministry’s plan, the winning bidder will be allowed to develop the land for 50 years, but will be required to build two buildings for the ministry’s use.
A first-round auction for the project was held in April, but attracted no bidders.
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