The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) yesterday said that it hopes to begin accepting applications next month from the manufacturing and exhibition industries for the government’s “Stimulus 3.0” program.
The ministry is keenly aware that many traditional manufacturers, as well as the shows and exhibition industries, are in urgent need of relief amid a COVID-19 pandemic slowdown, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) told reporters.
The ministry has already asked the Executive Yuan for funding, Wang said.
Photo: Huang Pei-chun, Taipei Times
“We are waiting right now, but we expect approval within days so that we can start processing the relief,” she said.
When asked about a possible time frame, she said that the ministry is aiming for “early to mid-September.”
“We will make an announcement as soon as the approval is given,” Wang said.
The budget request pending approval anticipates third and fourth-quarter needs for this year, Wang said.
The ministry is seeking NT$20 billion (US$677.74 million) for each quarter, she said.
Last month’s data showed that the retail and the food and beverage sectors have recovered well, Wang said.
The stimulus program is to help businesses still down by more than 50 percent year-on-year, she added.
The government spent NT$200 billion in the Stimulus 2.0 program to help virus-stricken businesses, but the funds ran out in the middle of last month so that program was ended early, Wang said.
When asked about the ministry tightening rules against Chinese business interests, Wang said that in addition to more regulation of Chinese firms investing in Taiwan, the ministry is also clarifying statutes governing information transfer to China.
“After our clarification, any skill transfers or licensing agreements that are technical in nature must be approved by the ministry,” Wang said.
There are no further plans to expel companies that are backed by Chinese capital, despite the Investment Commission ruling that Taobao Taiwan (淘寶台灣) is a Chinese company, she said.
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