President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday urged the Cabinet to implement his economic advisory group's resolution of developing the hospice and home-care sector of the healthcare industry to reduce the high unemployment rate.
"Taiwan's economic prosperity has been gradually revived following the recovery after economic slowdowns in the world's two giant economic bodies -- the US and Japan," Chen said.
"However, most big companies still adopt a conservative strategy and are not willing to expand investments immediately ... and so the jobless rate may remain high for a certain period," he said.
"I hope that the government adopts more positive measures to solve the problem -- it must," he said. Chen's statements came a day after the Executive Yuan publicized its report showing that the unemployment rate has continued to rise since June.
The latest figures by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics show that the nation's unemployment rate in August was 5.21 percent, while the number of jobless averaged 511,000 between January and August.
"We need to address the issue squarely of how to further reduce the jobless rate," Chen said.
Chen presided over yesterday's fourth meeting of his economic advisory group, which was convened by former premier and the current Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Vice Chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長).
The president concluded the meeting with an address, ordering the Cabinet's related administrations to be flexible when they are distributing money from the"employment fund," which is a fund that issues grants to companies for projects that encourage employment or to institutions that do vocational training.
In related news, Chen said yesterday that Taiwan will take bold steps to further liberalize its markets and investment system in the face of growing competition in the international community.
Chen made the commitment while meeting with Thomas J. Engibous, chairman and CEO of US-based Texas Instruments Group, who is currently in Taipei to attend a business forum being held in connection with the opening of the 2003 Computex Taipei, the world's third-largest computer trade fair.
As a democratic country, Chen said, Taiwan must update its legal system to international standards.
"And in the face of mounting global competition, Taiwan must further relax restrictions on investment and other economic activities," he added.
Chen said his administration will bravely promote convenient cargo transportation and even direct links across the Taiwan Strait under the condition that the nation's security and dignity are not compromised.
The president also lauded Texas Instruments for making Taiwan its Asian operations hub and for continuing to launch new projects that require increased local investment.
Engibous announced Monday that his company will set up a wireless communications center in Taiwan in view of the rapid growth in the mobile communications market on the island. The center will help Taiwan gain access to the latest information and upgrade related skills.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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