Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday announced the third wave of Cabinet appointments, including the new heads of the economic and digital ministries.
The next Cabinet is to take office on May 20 after president-elect William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration.
Cho on Tuesday announced six new appointments to head the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Digital Affairs, National Development Council (NDC), National Science and Technology Council, Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and Public Construction Commission.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) is to be the new minister of economic affairs. Currently chairman of semiconductor product distributor Topco Group (崇越集團), Kuo is considered one of Taiwan’s top 100 CEOs with a net worth of more than NT$10 billion (US$307.2 million). He also has experience in the biotechnology, photovoltaic, green energy and health fields, with expertise in corporate management and industrial supply chains.
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 minister of digital affairs.
He conducts cross-disciplinary research in ICT, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things, with the appointment expected to facilitate the integration of AI into more fields.
To head the National Science and Technology Council is Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology president Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文).
Paul Liu (劉鏡清), former chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers Business Consulting Services Taiwan Ltd known as one of the few business leaders to have practical as well as consulting experience, is to head the NDC.
Peng Jin-lung (彭金隆), associate dean of National Chengchi University's College of Commerce, has been appointed the new chairperson of the FSC, while former CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) chairman Chen Chin-te (陳金德) is to head the Public Construction Commission.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance