A record 90 percent of US companies in Taiwan expect revenue growth this year, while many want the government to prioritize energy issues to ensure sufficient supply and stable voltage, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham) said yesterday.
While last year was challenging for the global economy, Taiwan demonstrated its resilience with an impressive economic performance, the chamber of 1,050 members from 500 international companies said in a survey it conducted last month and this month.
GDP growth is likely to fare well again this year, as demand for Taiwanese exports remains sturdy, it said.
Photo: Huang Pei-chun, Taipei Times
Consistent with this trend, the annual business climate survey indicated high levels of optimism among member companies regarding the economic outlook.
Among the respondents, more than 87 percent expressed confidence in Taiwan’s economic growth over the next 12 months, while 83 percent were positive about the outlook over the next three years, the AmCham said.
Taiwan’s stable economy has prompted a record 90 percent of members to indicate confidence in their revenue growth prospects over the next 12 months, with 91 percent confident over a three-year span, it said.
Sixty-one percent said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should give top priority to the energy issue, followed by COVID-19 pandemic control (46 percent), cross-strait relations (42 percent), and trade agreements with the US and other partners (42 percent), the survey showed.
On the energy front, a majority voiced concern over power supply, voltage stability, the cost of electricity and progress toward green energy, with the degree of concern rising by double percentage points from a year earlier, it said.
Grid resiliency — a response item added this year — was a concern for 71 percent, it said.
Nearly 80 percent of respondents cited at some impact on operations from increased US-China competition, with more than 42 percent calling the effects positive.
As for economic accords, more than 65 percent supported the negotiation of a bilateral trade agreement with the US, while 62 percent backed Taiwan’s admission to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the survey showed.
It said that 95 percent of respondents expected Taiwan’s bilingual policy to benefit economic development, but some doubted that the goal is achievable by 2030.
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