Funds managed by the Ministry of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Funds earned NT$20.9 billion (US$641.14 million) in October, bringing this year’s gains to NT$93.91 billion as of the end of October, a report by the bureau showed yesterday.
The funds were valued at NT$6.8814 trillion and saw a 14.96 percent return rate for the first 10 months of the year, the bureau said in its latest fund performance report.
The funds include the Labor Pension Fund, valued at NT$4.5106 trillion with a 14.59 return rate, the Labor Retirement Fund (NT$1.047 trillion, 17.92 percent), the Labor Insurance Fund (NT$1.096 trillion, 16.64 percent) and the Employment Insurance Fund (NT$172.4 billion, 3.42 percent).
Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Time
The funds also comprise the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance Fund (NT$36.5 billion, 1.40 percent) and the Arrear Wage Payment Fund (NT$19.4 billion, 11.64 percent).
The bureau also reviewed the performance of the financial markets, saying that US retail sales were solid in September, as were non-farm payroll reports and the non-manufacturing index.
However, Taiwan’s financial market performance in October was relatively weak, apart from the relatively solid stock market, it said.
The Ministry of Labor said that varied interest rate policies, uneven growth, the development of artificial intelligence-related industries, the new US government’s fiscal policy and geopolitical conflicts could lead to uncertainty in the global financial market.
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
STAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said Taiwan
‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the meeting next month, Japanese sources said The holding of a Japan-US leaders’ meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China is positive news for Taiwan, former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association representative Hiroyasu Izumi said yesterday. After the Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Japan’s House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the US next month, where she is to meet with Trump ahead of the US president’s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2 for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the