ECONOMY
New tax to take effect June 1
The Ministry of Finance announced yesterday that the Selective Goods and Services Sales Tax Act (特種貨物及勞務稅條例), which imposes a tax on luxury purchases and short-term housing transactions in Taiwan, will take effect on June 1. The act, which passed the legislative floor on April 15, was approved by the Legislative Yuan on Thursday, the ministry said. Under the new act, a 15 percent tax will be imposed on non-self-use homes sold within one year of purchase, while a 10 percent tax will be slapped on properties sold in the second year after purchase. Certain luxury goods and services will also face a 10 percent levy. Taxable items include cars, yachts, airplanes, helicopters and ultra-light planes that cost more than NT$3 million (US$104,200). In addition, tortoise shells, coral, ivory and furniture items costing more than NT$500,000 will also be taxed at 10 percent. Government officials have said that revenues collected from the tax would be allocated to social welfare programs.
TOURISM
Japanese officials thank CAL
The Japanese government yesterday thanked China Airlines (CAL), Taiwan’s leading carrier, for its relief efforts and endeavors to promote tourism to Japan in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. A certificate of appreciation was presented to CAL officials by Hiroshi Mizohata, commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Mizohata said that visitor numbers to Japan have dropped significantly since the quake, but said that CAL has taken the lead in sending tourism personnel to the stricken country to help speed the recovery of Japan’s tourism industry. The carrier has transported relief provisions free of charge to the disaster areas and has also made every effort to continue its air services to Japan in the wake of the quake, airline officials said. CAL employees have also raised about NT$8 million (US$278,000) for quake relief.
BUSINESS
Local cosmetics sell in China
At the China Beauty Expo that opened in Shanghai on Wednesday, cosmetics buyers said Taiwanese products were more attractive than other foreign brands because of their quality and the fact they are designed exclusively for Asians. A Chinese buyer surnamed Wang (王) said he was also impressed by Taiwanese companies’ frequent use of brand spokespeople in their sales campaigns. For example, a Taiwan-made tooth powder attracted much attention at the expo because Taiwanese star Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛, aka Big S) recommended it in her book, he said.
ART
NTNU holds paper art show
A paper art exhibition opened yesterday at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei. Although paper is widely used in everyday life, not many people appreciate it as an artistic medium, according to Ziv Shu of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), the organizer of the International Paper Art Exhibition and Symposium, which runs until June 14. NTNU invited 87 artists from home and abroad to attend the symposium and brainstorm on ways to highlight the artistic properties of paper and increase public awareness of paper art. Participating artists have come from all over the world, including China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, the US, France, Israel, Italy and Mexico.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
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