A business delegation led by Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) Minister Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) is scheduled to leave for Japan tomorrow to promote investment in Taiwan.
The delegation will visit seven companies, including freight service provider Nippon Express, e-commerce developer Rakuten Inc, medical supplies and services firm Medical Excellence Japan, as well as electronics makers Hitachi and Tokyo Electron, the council said.
The council plans to hold two investment forums in Tokyo and Osaka on Tuesday and Thursday respectively to highlight Taiwan’s “free economic pilot zones,” which will offer lower taxes and other investment incentives.
In related news, former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) will seek opportunities for strengthened investment between Taiwan and the US during a visit to the US in November.
Siew will lead a delegation that will meet with US administration officials, members of the US Congress and think tank experts to pave the way for the signing of a bilateral investment agreement and Taiwan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Deputy Representative to the US Leo Lee (李澄然) said.
The visit is scheduled for Nov. 17 to 25. The delegation will include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) chairman Morris Chang (張忠謀) and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘).
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ENERGY IMPACT: The electricity rate hike is expected to add about NT$4 billion to TSMC’s electricity bill a year and cut its annual earnings per share by about NT$0.154 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has left its long-term gross margin target unchanged despite the government deciding on Friday to raise electricity rates. One of the heaviest power consuming manufacturers in Taiwan, TSMC said it always respects the government’s energy policy and would continue to operate its fabs by making efforts in energy conservation. The chipmaker said it has left a long-term goal of more than 53 percent in gross margin unchanged. The Ministry of Economic Affairs concluded a power rate evaluation meeting on Friday, announcing electricity tariffs would go up by 11 percent on average to about NT$3.4518 per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
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