CEPD optimistic on new jobs
A project to lure multinational firms to set up operation centers is expected to create 250,000 jobs by 2007, according to a report released yesterday by the Council for Economic Planning and Develop-ment (CEPD).
The project, which is one of the 10 priority investment projects under the "Challenge 2008" six-year national development plan, is aimed at developing the nation into an ideal place for multinational companies to set up their regional operations centers.
Measures to achieve the goal include the planning of a free trade zone area and the promoting of non-barrier tariff clearance procedures.
Multinationals with revenues of more than NT$1 billion (US$28.8 million) from their operations in Taiwan and which employ a monthly average of not less than 100 employees, while their overseas subsidiaries have revenues of more than NT$100 million, are qualified to apply to establish an operations center.
A total of 96 multinational companies have established operations centers in Taiwan so far and the number is expected to rise to 600 by 2007.
Dragonair load figures rise
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd, the smaller of the territory's two carriers, handled more passengers and cargo in December than a year earlier, as demand from China rose.
Dragonair's passenger volume rose 26 percent to 295,408 people in December from a year earlier, the carrier said in a faxed statement. Cargo volume jumped 47 percent in December to 20,095 tonnes.
For all of last year, the airline carried record volume of both passenger and cargo. Passenger volume rose 19 percent to 3.45 million and cargo volume jumped 60 percent to 193,465 tonnes.
"It has been a spectacular year for our cargo operations, with the growth in the China mainland market being exceptional," chief executive officer Stanley Hui said in the statement.
"While the outlook remains uncertain in light of tension in the Middle East for 2003, we believe the economic growth in the mainland will continue to power both imports and exports."
Dragonair has been expanding its freighter and passenger services. The airline, which is in the middle of doubling its fleet to 29 planes by the end of 2005, last month started operating a Boeing Co. 747-300 freighter. It now has 24 aircraft in service.
Thai Delta expects Q4 drop
Delta Electronics (Thailand) Pcl, a unit of the world's biggest maker of computer power devices, may say fourth-quarter earnings fell about 3 percent because its new flat-panel displays yield less profit than electrical gear.
Net income at the unit of Delta Electronics Inc (台達電子) may have fallen to 825.7 million baht (US$19.3 million) from 849.5 million baht a year earlier, according to the average forecast of seven analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. The Thai unit, which last month told analysts its sales grew 38 percent last year, is due to post earnings on Monday.
Delta Thailand's sales expanded as it began assembling liquid-crystal displays for Sony Corp, adding a new line to the power adapters it sells to companies such as Dell Computer Corp and Gateway Inc. Profit didn't follow suit because weak demand for computers forced it to keep prices low.
For the full year, profit may have dropped 15 percent to 3.25 billion baht, analysts estimated.
NT dollar edges down
The new Taiwan dollar fell against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, losing NT$0.023 to close at NT$34.757. A total of US$459 million changed hands.
Agencies
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