Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) Chairman Thomas Huang (黃天牧) yesterday said that after taking office, he would concentrate on monitoring financial companies’ capital adequacy and promoting financial technology, sustainable finance and inclusive financing.
Huang told a handover ceremony in New Taipei City that he would make sure that companies have a sufficient capital adequacy ratio and exercise comprehensive risk management, as he expects financial conglomerates to be resilient enough to weather market volatility.
As the global economy undergoes digital transformation, the commission would continue encouraging firms to develop financial technology to boost their competitiveness, he said.
Photo: CNA
The agency would also monitor possible risks related to innovative businesses, he added.
The commission would promote green finance — providing funds or financial tools such as bonds to borrowers for sustainable or green investments — as financial companies should fulfill their social responsibility and create “win-win” situations for the economy and the environment, Huang said.
It would also focus on inclusive finance, asking companies to provide diverse products and services to meet the needs of various enterprises and individuals, he said.
The commission would keep its regulations in line with international rules, Huang said, adding that if it introduces new international standards in the nation, it would adopt a phased approach and impose fines conforming to the principle of proportionality.
“Financial supervision and regulation is my life’s work and vocation,” the 61-year-old said. “Supervision should be independent, fair and just.”
Huang said that he has adopted the motto of Chang Chi-luan (張季鸞) — former chief executive editor of the Chinese-language Ta Kung Pao (大公報) — “no party affiliation, no political endorsement, no self-promotion, no ignorance,” (不黨,不賣,不私,不盲) as his own.
All regulations and policies should prioritize the nation’s interests, he said.
Huang also urged banks to be more proactive about approving loans to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to help the nation’s economy recover.
Former FSC chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄), who recommended Huang to Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) as his successor, said that Huang would be a professional supervisor, as he has experience and integrity.
Huang, who was the commission’s vice chairman since 2013, served as the head of the agency’s Insurance Bureau; the Securities and Futures Bureau; and the Examination Bureau.
Real estate agent and property developer JSL Construction & Development Co (愛山林) led the average compensation rankings among companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) last year, while contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) finished 14th. JSL Construction paid its employees total average compensation of NT$4.78 million (US$159,701), down 13.5 percent from a year earlier, but still ahead of the most profitable listed tech giants, including TSMC, TWSE data showed. Last year, the average compensation (which includes salary, overtime, bonuses and allowances) paid by TSMC rose 21.6 percent to reach about NT$3.33 million, lifting its ranking by 10 notches
Popular vape brands such as Geek Bar might get more expensive in the US — if you can find them at all. Shipments of vapes from China to the US ground to a near halt last month from a year ago, official data showed, hit by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a crackdown on unauthorized e-cigarettes in the world’s biggest market for smoking alternatives. That includes Geek Bar, a brand of flavored vapes that is not authorized to sell in the US, but which had been widely available due to porous import controls. One retailer, who asked not to be named, because
SEASONAL WEAKNESS: The combined revenue of the top 10 foundries fell 5.4%, but rush orders and China’s subsidies partially offset slowing demand Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) further solidified its dominance in the global wafer foundry business in the first quarter of this year, remaining far ahead of its closest rival, Samsung Electronics Co, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday. TSMC posted US$25.52 billion in sales in the January-to-March period, down 5 percent from the previous quarter, but its market share rose from 67.1 percent the previous quarter to 67.6 percent, TrendForce said in a report. While smartphone-related wafer shipments declined in the first quarter due to seasonal factors, solid demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) devices and urgent TV-related orders
MINERAL DIPLOMACY: The Chinese commerce ministry said it approved applications for the export of rare earths in a move that could help ease US-China trade tensions Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰) is today to meet a US delegation for talks in the UK, Beijing announced on Saturday amid a fragile truce in the trade dispute between the two powers. He is to visit the UK from yesterday to Friday at the invitation of the British government, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. He and US representatives are to cochair the first meeting of the US-China economic and trade consultation mechanism, it said. US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that a new round of trade talks with China would start in London beginning today,