Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday named six more Cabinet members who are to take office on May 20, including the cofounder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) supplier Topco Scientific Co (崇越科技) who is to take over the economics portfolio.
J.W. Kuo (郭智輝), who is also chairs Topco Group (崇越集團), a Taiwan-based supplier of semiconductor and LCD materials, as well as optoelectronic products, is to replace Wang Mei-hua (王美花) as minister of economic affairs, Cho told a news conference in Taipei.
By leveraging his knowledge and extensive network in the tech sector, Kuo would help drive the development of Taiwan’s critical industries, especially semiconductors, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, Cho said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
Ensuring stable power supply for the nation would be a top concern of the incoming minister, he added.
“I will also ask minister-[designate] Kuo to use his expertise in the energy industry to ensure a stable power supply and to further develop alternatives sources of energy to deepen energy conservation,” Cho said.
Taiwan experienced large-scale power outages in 2021 and 2022, and another one in 2017, sparking criticism that the government was not doing enough to ensure stable electricity supply, especially for the crucial chip industry.
Taiwan has been investing in renewable energy, including wind power, and building new terminals for imported liquefied natural gas.
Kuo said he would elaborate on his plans once he takes office.
Other new appointees include Paul Liu (劉鏡清), former chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers Business Consulting Services Taiwan, who is to replace Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) as minister of the National Development Council (NDC), and Peng Jin-lung (彭金隆), associate dean of National Chengchi University’s College of Commerce, who is to take over from Huang Tien-mu (黃天牧) as chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission, Cho said.
Huang Yen-nun (黃彥男), a distinguished research fellow with Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Information Technology Innovation, is to replace Audrey Tang (唐鳳) as digital affairs minister, and Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文), president of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, is to take over from Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) as minister of the National Science and Technology Council, Cho said.
Chen Chin-te (陳金德), former chairman of state-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油), is to be the new head of the Public Construction Commission, replacing Wu Tse-cheng (吳澤成).
The new ministers would be “major driving forces” of Taiwan’s national development and prosperity, and their expertise, gained from years of working in the private sector, would facilitate the implementation of government programs, Cho said.
Cho said that Liu’s previous work with two consulting firms has given him a wealth of experience in helping companies “stand firm amid the wave of digital transformation.”
Liu served as chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Business Consulting Services Taiwan from 2012 to 2021 and was the director of IBM General Business from 2010 to 2011.
He is to be responsible for planning “the nation’s future development” and promoting existing programs to develop Taiwan’s AI industry and cultivate more start-ups, Cho said.
Cho described Peng as having a solid academic background and experience in government, saying he has taught risk management and insurance, and worked for the Ministry of Finance.
Peng’s responsibility would be to transform Taiwan into a leading hub for financial technology development in Asia while concurrently working to combat the problem of financial fraud in Taiwan, he added.
Huang Yen-nun has previously served in the administrative branch of government where he was in charge of digital and technology-related tasks, Cho said.
He is an expert on information security, communications and AI, making him an ideal candidate, Cho said.
Cho added that he hoped Huang Yen-nun would bolster Taiwan’s information security, help businesses with digital transformation, tackle fraud and oversee the construction of digital infrastructure.
Wu Cheng-wen, who has made significant contributions to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, would be charged with nurturing the next generation of Taiwanese science and technology researchers and driving technological innovation, Cho said.
Chen is familiar with major development plans, Cho said, adding he hoped Chen would boost the quality and efficiency of public works.
Aside from chairing CPC, Chen had served as Yilan County deputy commissioner and Kaohsiung deputy mayor.
Chen was forced to resign from CPC after a massive nationwide power outage on Aug. 15, 2017, that left millions of households and businesses without power.
The incident was caused by natural gas supplies being cut off after one of CPC’s contractors accidentally switched off a supply valve and caused six generators at the Datan Power Plant in Taoyuan to trip.
Additional reporting by Reuters and Chen Yun
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