Maximum spending on the second phase of the Cabinet’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program was set at NT$510 billion (US$17.24 billion) after the Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a funds ceiling, which was bolstered by NT$90 billion left over from the first phase.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said at the Executive Yuan in Taipei that ministries should comply with requests from the National Development Council (NDC), the Directorate-General of Budgeting, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) and others to complete a detailed financial plan by the middle of this month.
The program, initiated on July 7, 2017, is to facilitate infrastructure for transportation, hydraulic engineering, green energy, smart technology, balancing advancements in urban and rural areas, as well as improved facilities for raising children, food safety and fostering talent, the NDC Web site says.
Photo: CNA
Ministries should be careful about budget allocations, and improve collaboration and mutual understanding, Su said.
The first phase of the project was given NT$420 billion from September 2017 to August next year, but NT$90 billion is yet to be allocated.
According to the Special Act on the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program (前瞻基礎建設特別條例), funding for the second phase should only be allotted after a legislative review, and should not exceed the ceiling or scale of the first phase.
In related news, Su said that he instructed the Ministry of Economic Affairs to accelerate the introduction of 5G networking and adoption of artificial intelligence systems.
The ministry briefed Su on its plans to make Taiwan a hub for advanced manufacturing and semiconductor engineering.
Service providers this week announced the commencement of 5G services in Taiwan.
If the nation becomes self-sufficient in semiconductor production, and research and development of related technology, it could become a major link in the global supply chain, which would increase incentives for foreign investment and bolster firms’ competitiveness, Su said.
The local semiconductor industry should seek to be self-sufficient in materials production, and in research and development of technology and equipment, he said.
The output value of the nation’s semiconductor industry last year was NT$2.7 trillion, the second-highest globally, the ministry said.
Last year, demand for semiconductor equipment in Taiwan was valued at NT$513 billion, or 28 percent of global demand, while demand for semiconductor products was NT$330.6 billion, or 22 percent of global demand, the ministry said.
It pledged to enlarge the nation’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and to attract more foreign investment to the industry.
It is optimistic that the value of the Taiwanese semiconductor industry would be NT$5 trillion by 2030 once it has achieved complete self-sufficiency, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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