The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said it would have a plan within a month to help domestic LED makers weather the -industry-wide downturn and fend off competition from Chinese and South Korean rivals.
Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) told reporters that he had discussed issues relating to LED standards, the protection of intellectual property rights and the exploration of overseas markets, such as China, during meetings yesterday with local LED makers, including Everlight Electronics Co (億光), Epistar Corp (晶電) and Delta Electronics Inc (台達電).
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The ministry said it plans to spend more than NT$500 million (US$16.6 million) on LED subsidies next year, up from the NT$170 million that was used this year to install LED lamp posts in rural areas and replace traditional bulbs with LED lights in government offices.
LED manufacturers, who recently saw orders shrink in the wake of the slowing global economy, have called on the government to subsidize consumer purchases of LED lightbulbs in an effort to replace less energy efficient bulbs.
BAD IDEA
One suggestion called for the government to pay 50 percent of the cost of each energy-efficient LED bulb used to replace an inefficient incandescent bulb — a proposal the ministry has said would incur “staggering costs.”
According to a ministry statement, it instead said Taiwanese makers should introduce products with higher added value, increase the quality and stability of their LED products and reduce reliance on orders from South Korea to cope with rising market competition.
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