Fri, Aug 30, 2002 page11

• Business quick take

  • STAFF WRITER, WITH AGENCIES
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  Businesses pessimistic

  More than 60 percent of local trading companies said they have a negative outlook for business environment in Taiwan, a poll showed yesterday. According to the survey, conducted by the Taipei Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei (台北市進出口公會) in May, 61.6 percent of the polled said the nation's business environment is "gradually worsening" with only one percent of them felt the local environment is "good." The poll also indicated global economic slowdown, intensified business competition, and high tax burden as the three primary problems that local trading firms are facing while doing business in Taiwan now. Other concerns also include high risks involving foreign exchange rate fluctuations, stringent government regulations, poor administrative efficiency, unclear industrial policies, and uncertainties of cross-strait relationships. Despite the above-mentioned concerns, about 80 percent of local trading companies said they would be fared well in such a business environment because of their strength in good credit standing. Other advantages include the uniqueness of their products, good customer relation management, fast delivery, and sound after-sales services, the poll said.

  Via loses market share

  Intel Corp., the world's No. 1 computer-chip maker, and Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. gained market share for chipsets at the expense of rival Via Technologies Inc (威盛電子) even as the overall market declined in the second quarter, market researcher IDC said. Intel, which is also the largest maker of computer processors, had a 59.6 percent share of the chipset market in the second quarter, up from 57 percent in the previous three months. Taiwan-based Via had a 22 percent share of the chipset market in the second quarter, down from 25.3 percent in the first quarter. The share of compatriot Silicon Integrated increased to 14.3 percent from 12.8 percent. Overall chipset shipments fell by 9 percent while sales dropped 13 percent, IDC said.

  Chunghwa orders Nokia

  Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, said it won an order for a multimedia messaging system from Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), Taiwan's state-owned phone operator. Financial details weren't given in the e-mailed statement. Multimedia messaging enables mobile-phone users to send photos, graphs, sound and e-mails.

  Hon Hai to make iBooks

  Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), Taiwan's largest computer-parts maker, plans to start making notebook computers, aiming to produce the iBook laptop for Apple Computer Inc, according to a local Chinese-language newspaper report. Hon Hai hired 10 engineers from Elitegroup Computer Systems Co (精英電腦), which controls iBook subcontractor Alpha-Top Corp (致勝科技) and plans to employ more from Elitegroup, the paper said. Taiwan computer makers, including Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦), and Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), have started to favor Hon Hai's smaller rivals for computer-parts supplies as they seek to block its notebook plan, the paper said.

  NT dollar closes higher

  The New Taiwan dollar yesterday rose against its US counterpart on the back of stronger yen, gaining NT$0.037 to close at NT$34.193 on the Taipei foreign exchange market. The turnover was US$361 million, down from the previous day's US$456 million.
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