The Investment Commission under the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday that local private enterprises will be given help to recruit foreign and Chinese high-technology personnel from July 1.
In the past, the Ministry allowed local private businesses to hire only high-technology personnel who are citizens of Taiwan living in foreign countries.
Under the new regulations, foreigners and Chinese personnel who have been living abroad for more than two years can also be hired.
The Ministry subsidies the salaries of foreign and Chinese high-technology personnel will remain unchanged from the present levels.
The Investment Commission is planning to organize a talent-hunting mission to San Francisco, New York and Dallas in September to recruit more talent to work in Taiwan to help improve the island's industrial quality.
It will hold symposiums in Hsinchu, Taichung and Tainan in the coming weeks to invite local businessmen to join the talent-recruiting mission.
Meanwhile in related news, a well-known economist urged the government yesterday to adjust its current "no haste, be patient" China investment policy to help local firms accomplish globalization as a way to boost Taiwan's economy, .
Chiang Pin-kun (江丙坤), secretary-general of the opposition KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation, made the call in a speech delivered at the opening of a two-day seminar sponsored by the KMT on cross-Taiwan Strait relations and the Bush administration's policy toward Taiwan and China.
Peaceful co-existence and jointly shared prosperity have always been the mainstay public opinion in Taiwan regarding cross-strait ties and the KMT strongly believes that only through smooth and orderly trade and economic activities and exchanges of viewpoints can Taiwan and China resolve their current impasse, Chiang said.
* In the past, local private businesses were only allowed to hire high-tech personnel who are citizens of Taiwan living in foreign countries.
* Under the new regulations, foreigners and Chinese personnel who have been living abroad for more than two years can be hired.
* The Investment Commission is planning to organize a talent-hunting mission to San Francisco, New York and Dallas. Source: CNA
He said it is lamentable that relations between Taiwan and China have been deteriorating since the transfer of power last year and that regular negotiation channels have also been cut since then.
"Worse yet, the clear course to boost bilateral trade and economic activities and two-way exchange mechanisms started by the KMT while it was the ruling party are also being lost because of the current government's vacillating policies," he pointed out.
Chiang suggested that the government ease the "no haste, be patient" policy on Taiwan investment in China based on "industrial competitiveness." He contended that competitive local businesses should not be allowed to invest there, while those without a competitive edge should actually be helped to set up in China or elsewhere.
As for those businesses which are still competitive but whose China investments can help fuel Taiwan's economy, he urged the government to gauge their investment applications on a "case-by-case basis" and to review industries' competitiveness swiftly to tackle all changes across the strait to secure national security.
In the face of the long-awaited entry by Taiwan and China to the WTO, expected by the end of this year, Chiang said the two sides will face a new juncture in bilateral trade ties under the principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity. He further voiced his hope that two-way relations in other fields will also be normalized gradually.
RSS