Nearly 50 percent of German companies based in Taiwan remain positive about their operations, despite rising uncertainty, but said that a lack of skilled workers might become a serious threat, a survey released yesterday by the German Trade Office Taipei showed.
Forty-nine percent of respondents depicted their business in Taiwan as “good,” higher than 43 percent in South Korea, 42 percent in China and 36 percent in Japan, the office said, citing a global survey of the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad conducted in March and last month.
“The findings confirm that German companies remain positive about their business and look to the future with optimism,” German Trade Office Taipei chief representative and executive director Axel Limberg said.
While optimism in some other major Asian markets has weakened due to heightening downside risks, it has remained strong in Taiwan, Limberg said.
Only 7 percent of German companies in Taiwan expect their business operations to deteriorate over the next 12 months, he said.
Optimistic business sentiment gives the firms a higher willingness to invest in Taiwan, compared with other markets in the region, he said.
More than 36 percent said that they would increase investment in Taiwan in the next 12 months, while 49 percent would stand by their original investment plans, the survey showed.
That is higher than 28 percent of German companies in China that intend to raise stakes, 22 percent in South Korea and 19 percent in Japan, it showed.
The outlook is consistent with expectations of economic growth in Taiwan, it showed.
The survey also revealed ongoing and potential challenges.
The war in Ukraine is negatively affecting German firms, with 70 percent saying they expect costs to rise, Limberg said.
Sixty-eight percent believe that global supply chain disruptions have affected their operations, he said.
In addition, a lack of skilled workers continues to put pressure on nearly 50 percent of companies, which call it a serious threat to their operations, he added.
“We hope the Taiwanese government will address this issue with full commitment sooner [rather] than later,” he said, adding that the office is ready to work with the government and jointly explore solutions to meet the challenges.
To many, Tatu City on the outskirts of Nairobi looks like a success. The first city entirely built by a private company to be operational in east Africa, with about 25,000 people living and working there, it accounts for about two-thirds of all foreign investment in Kenya. Its low-tax status has attracted more than 100 businesses including Heineken, coffee brand Dormans, and the biggest call-center and cold-chain transport firms in the region. However, to some local politicians, Tatu City has looked more like a target for extortion. A parade of governors have demanded land worth millions of dollars in exchange
An Indonesian animated movie is smashing regional box office records and could be set for wider success as it prepares to open beyond the Southeast Asian archipelago’s silver screens. Jumbo — a film based on the adventures of main character, Don, a large orphaned Indonesian boy facing bullying at school — last month became the highest-grossing Southeast Asian animated film, raking in more than US$8 million. Released at the end of March to coincide with the Eid holidays after the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the movie has hit 8 million ticket sales, the third-highest in Indonesian cinema history, Film
BIG BUCKS: Chairman Wei is expected to receive NT$34.12 million on a proposed NT$5 cash dividend plan, while the National Development Fund would get NT$8.27 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, yesterday announced that its board of directors approved US$15.25 billion in capital appropriations for long-term expansion to meet growing demand. The funds are to be used for installing advanced technology and packaging capacity, expanding mature and specialty technology, and constructing fabs with facility systems, TSMC said in a statement. The board also approved a proposal to distribute a NT$5 cash dividend per share, based on first-quarter earnings per share of NT$13.94, it said. That surpasses the NT$4.50 dividend for the fourth quarter of last year. TSMC has said that while it is eager
‘IMMENSE SWAY’: The top 50 companies, based on market cap, shape everything from technology to consumer trends, advisory firm Visual Capitalist said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) was ranked the 10th-most valuable company globally this year, market information advisory firm Visual Capitalist said. TSMC sat on a market cap of about US$915 billion as of Monday last week, making it the 10th-most valuable company in the world and No. 1 in Asia, the publisher said in its “50 Most Valuable Companies in the World” list. Visual Capitalist described TSMC as the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry operator that rolls out chips for major tech names such as US consumer electronics brand Apple Inc, and artificial intelligence (AI) chip designers Nvidia Corp and Advanced
RSS