Kaohsiung yesterday unveiled the new Invest Kaohsiung Service Center as Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) aims to provide a “one-stop solution” for businesses seeking to set up shop in the southern port city.
“For every potential investment, we will have a dedicated project manager,” Chen said at the inaugural ceremony. “The goal is to efficiently remove obstacles for investors.”
Instead of applying to separate local government agencies for environmental protection, water and electricity, a construction license and other requirements, major investors only need to deal with the center, Chen said.
Photo: CNA
“Guidance works better than subsidies,” he said.
Since Chen took office in August, Kaohsiung has recorded a NT$20 billion (US$694 million) investment by Yageo Corp (國巨) and a NT$85 billion investment by Win Semiconductors Corp (穩懋半導體), he said.
“I’m sure that with the upcoming completion of the Ciaotou Science Park (橋頭科學園區), more businesses will be on the way,” Chen added.
Besides helping businesses apply for the licenses and permits, the center would also help with location and investment scouting, he said, adding that other incentives for investing in Kaohsiung are under way.
“We will be rolling out more benefits for investors in Kaohsiung, including property tax breaks, favorable financing and salary subsidies for new employees,” Chen said. “Our goal is to attract world-class businesses and create more high-quality jobs.”
The new center is designed after the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Invest Taiwan Service Center, which was launched early last year to attract overseas Taiwanese businesses returning home amid the US-China trade tensions.
The Taiwan Center provides assistance in the areas of financing, taxation, land, utilities and labor to encourage firms to invest in the nation. Through the three packages it provides, the center has as of Friday last week attracted 724 firms to pledge investments of about NT$1.143 trillion, according to ministry data.
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