Premier Lin Chuan (林全) has appointed Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) as the new chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday.
The appointment came amid speculation that Shih, an experienced academic and veteran of Taiwan’s financial regulatory agency, would replace Lee Sush-der (李述德), who is scheduled to retire at the end of this month.
Tung said that Shih, currently a minister without portfolio, has a wealth of experience and a good reputation in both economic theory development and financial market practices, making him a good candidate to take the helm of the TWSE, which operates the local main board.
Photo: CNA
Shih formerly served as chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), the top financial regulator in Taiwan, and was a research fellow at Academia Sinica, the nation’s top research institution.
Shih was born in August 1955 and has a doctorate in economics from National Taiwan University. As a minister without portfolio, he is in charge of policies regarding economics, communication and trade negotiations, including possible talks on entering the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Citing Lin, Tung said that the TWSE chairman plays an important role in the capital market, as Taiwan is keen to attract funding at home and from overseas to energize its capital market.
Tung said that when Shih served as FSC chairman, he worked closely with the domestic financial market.
As a research fellow at Academia Sinica, Shih has conducted a great deal of research on Taiwan’s financial market, Tung said.
He said Shih has done a good job as a minister without portfolio and his expertise in the financial market makes him ideal for the position of TWSE chairman.
After Shih assumes his new post, he is to step down from his position as minister without portfolio.
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