Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) unveiled his "i-Taiwan 12 projects" economy platform yesterday, promising NT$2.65 trillion (US$81 billion) in government investment over the next eight years to boost the nation's economy by expanding domestic demand.
Pledging to put the economy "on the front burner" if elected, Ma said the government would fund projects to attract NT$1.34 trillion in private investment, adding that the investments would boost GDP by more than NT$4 trillion over the next eight years and provide employment for 120,000 people.
"My economic policies consist of more than opening up [the country] for more Chinese tourists and cross-strait direct links. Expanding domestic demand is also crucial and for the government to invest in the nation shows love for Taiwan," Ma told a press conference yesterday morning.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
The "i-Taiwan 12 projects" include building and linking rapid transit networks in cities and counties across the country, turning Kaohsiung into a tariff-free port and eco-park, turning Taichung into a center for maritime and air logistics in the Asian-Pacific region, turning Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into an "air city," developing cultural and creative industries, creating industrial innovation corridors, carrying out urban regeneration, revitalizing rural Taiwan, reviving coastal zones, building 60,000 hectares of new forests to meet sustainable development goals, improving infrastructure designed to prevent flooding and fighting water pollution, and improving the nation's waste water sewage system.
The "i" stands for "infrastructure, investment, information, innovation, intelligence and international," Ma's camp said.
Ma and his running mate Vincent Siew (
When asked how the projects would be funded, Ma said taxes and revenue generated by the projects would cover the investment costs. Ma also vowed not to raise taxes in the next eight years if elected.
"We need tax revenue to invest in the projects, so we probably won't cut taxes, either," he said.
Later in the day, in an address to the US, European, New Zealand and Australian chambers of commerce, Ma accused the government of neglecting Taiwan's economic development over the past seven years, pursuing unstable policies and running an unstable government. Ma pledged to improve the investment environment for foreign companies by normalizing cross-strait economic relations and allowing cross-strait direct flights.
Ma cited the American Chamber of Commerce as evidence, saying its members had decreased from 900 to 700 over the past seven years as a result of shrinking markets and opportunities in Taiwan as a regional springboard.
In addition to opening up cross-strait direct links, Ma promised to establish "twin golden flight circles" among airports in Taiwan, Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Seoul's Gimpo Airport and Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport.
Ma also promised to revise the cap on investment in China, but added that his administration would not open up the agricultural market to Chinese products or open the labor market to China.
"We have to make up for what was lost during the last eight years and leap forward. All we need is a new leader, who will lead Taiwan to peace and prosperity," he said at the Howard Plaza Hotel.
The European Chamber of Commerce later issued a statement saying "it is very pleased" with Ma's "comprehensive outline of his economic platform."
The statement expressed support for Kaohsiung becoming a tariff-free port with direct shipping links to China and for the the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport "air city."
The statement said however that Ma had not presented a clear tax roadmap and tax environment or elaborated on how he would improve the flow of human talent to Taiwan and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also said Ma did not touch on issues such as how he would step up intellectual property rights protection.
Additional reporting by staff writer
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition