GETTING BETTER: The ministry said yesterday that the key industrial production index increased 9.61 percent and outshone the market prediction of 8.15 percent
By Jerry Lin
The nation's export orders rose US$4.31 billion, or 15.69 percent year-on-year, to US$31.77 billion last month, bolstered by demand from emerging countries in Asia, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

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Construction industry leaders yesterday urged Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) to relax legal restrictions on domestic construction firms investing in China in order to fulfill President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) pledges.

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By Jerry Lin
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said the Chinese government has proposed to allow 18 weekend cross-strait charter flights per week, which would bring in an estimated 1,000 Chinese tourists, the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC, 工商協進會) official told reporters yesterday.

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By Kevin Chen
SinoPac Holdings Co (永豐金控) chief executive officer and president Paul Lo (盧正昕) will retire from his post after the company holds its annual shareholders meeting next month, although the market is speculating that his departure has something to do with the company's growing losses in structured investment vehicles (SIVs).

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The Ministry of Economic Affairs should review employee benefits at the state-run oil company, a Consumers' Foundation (消基會) official said yesterday, adding that the benefits were too good for a company claiming to have suffered heavy losses because of rising oil prices.

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JUST A DREAM?: If an Optimax Technology-LG Chem alliance succeeded, it would likely challenge Nitto Denko Corp's No. 1 position in the market
By Kevin Chen
Optimax Technology Corp (力特光電), the nation's largest maker of polarizing films that are a central component of liquid-crystal-display (LCD) technology, yesterday saw its share prices close limit-down after it reportedly rejected a buyout by LG Chem Ltd of South Korea.

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RECORD OIL PRICES: Indonesia and Malaysia both announced on Thursday that local fuel prices would be increased to reduce the amount spent on subsidies
The Philippine peso fell this week by the most in two months, leading losses among Asian currencies, on concern that record oil prices would quicken inflation and slow economic growth.

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The chief executive of one of Hong Kong's major developers yesterday suffered a legal setback in his feud with his two younger brothers over control of the company.

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The TAIEX closed 1.92 percent lower yesterday as inflation worries intensified after the new government decided to lift a freeze on gasoline and power tariffs, dealers said.

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Chiang placed on wanted list
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