Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu (林義夫) said yesterday that the opening of the ministerial-level Taiwan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Conference marks the first step in materializing the "go south" policy.
The conference kicked off yesterday in Taipei, with major topics to be discussed including simplifying the way tax is levied on Philippines workers in Taiwan, labor import quotas, vocational training cooperation, removal of barriers regarding investment in Subic Bay, and the promotion of bilateral fishery, agricultural and technological cooperation.
In response to a call by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) recently to rekindle the "go south" investment policy, the ministry will embark on a series of initiatives after the conference to accelerate Taiwan's business, trade and investment activities in Southeast Asian countries -- including the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, Lin said.
RSS