Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday praised state-owned Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp (TTL, 台灣菸酒公司) for sponsoring the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, to the tune of NT$400 million (US$12.29 million).
“When I heard about the plan, I approved without hesitation because it offers tremendous benefits: The tasty Taiwan Beer will sweep the mainland and the brand will promote the ‘Taiwan concept’ and Taiwan’s excellence. It could also generate extra revenue of NT$30 billion a year,” Wu said.
TTL president Duan Wei (韋伯韜) signed the sponsorship deal with the 16th Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee in Beijing on Monday and announced the launch of corporate offices in Beijing and Shanghai.
The Games are scheduled for next November.
Wei and a group of businesspeople awarded for their excellent performance met the premier.
TTL has sought to register the Taiwan Beer brand as a trademark in China since 1999, but Beijing did not approve the registration until in May, objecting to the use of the word “Taiwan.”
TTL’s operations are expected to contribute approximately NT$20 billion in tax revenue this year, Wei said, and attributed the growth in sales to the Chinese market.
“Tax revenue from sales of tobacco and alcohol between January and September this year fell 7.2 percent, but exports soared, especially in China, where sales grew 30-fold in July and August compared with previous months,” Wei said.
Wei said that exploring the Chinese market would help TTL double its annual revenue and create 1,000 job opportunities in Taiwan.
The Democratic Progressive Party lashed out at TTL for sponsoring the Games with NT$400 million, after it gave only NT$400,000 to the Deaflympics in Taipei and nothing to the World Games in Kaohsiung.
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