The spearhead of Taiwan's commercial clubs, the Banker's Club (金融家商務俱樂部), has reportedly closed its doors for good, affecting the interests of its 1,000-plus mem-bers and two local companies, a Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday.
Kloster Mann, who is in charge of the club's headquarters in Hong Kong, and the club's honorary director in Taiwan Wu Yu-lin (吳幼林) could not be reached for comment.
The club has branches in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines and Shanghai, China, sources said.
Taiwan's branch was founded 20 years ago, with businessmen, bankers, doctors and lawyers as its main members. Memberships totaled more than 2,000 when the branch's operation peaked several years after its establishment.
Hurt by the economic slowdown, its profits have slid over the past year and its memberships have decreased dramatically to 1,000-plus members.
A number of members were told the club was to be redecorated before Oct. 10 this year. But on Oct. 15, the date the club informed its members it would reopen, no one was to be found.
Employees and members could not reach the supervisor of financial affairs Chou Ju-ling (
The branch has not paid its rent since April this year, owing around NT$15 million to both Capital Motors (中華賓士), from which it leased the basement, and Chiaofu Construction Corporation (僑福建設), the owner of the building.
Chiaofu sent two pieces of certified mail to the club's Hong Kong headquarters demanding that the debts be cleared before the end of September. When the letters were ignored, Chiaofu decided to sue the club's headquarters.
According to sources, employees received their pay last month.
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