The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) on Wednesday night called on the government to show greater resolve in building the nation into a regional hub for the development of offshore wind energy.
“Wind energy has the potential to increase energy security, reduce pollution and create a new high-value industry in Taiwan,” Taiwan ECCT chairman Giuseppe Izzo said during an annual dinner with top-ranking government officials and industry representatives.
However, the government must keep a stable, consistent and predictable regulatory framework to boost business confidence in the industry’s sustainability, he said.
Photo: CNA
Hurdles and bottlenecks that need to be overcome include grid connections, finance, insurance, vessels, infrastructure and talent recruitment, he said.
Localization requirements must be flexible enough to allow time to build facilities, training staff and ramping up production without raising costs, causing delays or compromising safety and quality standards, he said.
Developers should also be allowed to adjust their plans to take advantage of the latest technology when it becomes available, he said.
More could be done to remove discriminatory treatment toward foreign residents in Taiwan, Izzo said.
He cited various benefits, such as transportation discounts for pensioners and disabled people, as well as subsidies for electric vehicles, that have not been extended to foreign residents.
“Foreigners who live, work and pay taxes in Taiwan should be granted the same rights and privileges due Taiwanese,” he said.
On the subject of healthcare, Taiwan’s health insurance system is facing challenges from a low birthrate and rapidly aging society, Izzo said.
The resulting increase in chronic diseases is putting a strain on resources, he said.
He pressed for further investment in disease prevention and adoption of more flexible business models to increase private sector involvement in healthcare.
ECCT reiterated its support for the government’s efforts to turn Taiwan into a bilingual nation by 2030 and the goal to boost English proficiency to enhance the nation’s competitiveness on the world stage.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, yesterday said its materials management head, Vanessa Lee (李文如), had tendered her resignation for personal reasons. The personnel adjustment takes effect tomorrow, TSMC said in a statement. The latest development came one month after Lee reportedly took leave from the middle of last month. Cliff Hou (侯永清), senior vice president and deputy cochief operating officer, is to concurrently take on the role of head of the materials management division, which has been under his supervision, TSMC said. Lee, who joined TSMC in 2022, was appointed senior director of materials management and
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Thursday met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, days before a planned trip to China by the head of the world’s most valuable chipmaker, people familiar with the matter said. Details of what the two men discussed were not immediately available, and the people familiar with the meeting declined to elaborate on the agenda. Spokespeople for the White House had no immediate comment. Nvidia declined to comment. Nvidia’s CEO has been vocal about the need for US companies to access the world’s largest semiconductor market and is a frequent visitor to China.
Hypermarket chain Carrefour Taiwan and upscale supermarket chain Mia C’bon on Saturday announced the suspension of their partnership with Jkopay Co (街口支付), one of Taiwan’s largest digital payment providers, amid a lawsuit involving its parent company. Carrefour and Mia C’bon said they would notify customers once Jkopay services are reinstated. The two retailers joined an array of other firms in suspending their partnerships with Jkopay. On Friday night, popular beverage chain TP Tea (茶湯會) also suspended its use of the platform, urging customers to opt for alternative payment methods. Another drinks brand, Guiji (龜記), on Friday said that it is up to individual
READY TO BUY: Shortly after Nvidia announced the approval, Chinese firms scrambled to order the H20 GPUs, which the company must send to the US government for approval Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) late on Monday said the technology giant has won approval from US President Donald Trump’s administration to sell its advanced H20 graphics processing units (GPUs) used to develop artificial intelligence (AI) to China. The news came in a company blog post late on Monday and Huang also spoke about the coup on China’s state-run China Global Television Network in remarks shown on X. “The US government has assured Nvidia that licenses will be granted, and Nvidia hopes to start deliveries soon,” the post said. “Today, I’m announcing that the US government has approved for us