Innolux sees highest profit in 15 quartersBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterLCD panel maker Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday announced that net profit last quarter reached the highest in 15 quarters and that the strong momentum should carry into this quarter, sparking a sequential increase of 15 percent in the price of TV and laptop panels. People are also upgrading their electronic devices for distance learning, which has deepened an already tight panel supply, the company said. The LCD panel maker yesterday announced that net profit last quarter reached the highest in 15 quarters and that the strong momentum should carry into this quarter, sparking a sequential increase of 15 percent in the price of TV and laptop panels. This quarter, shipments of smaller display panels, those used in handsets, are to decline by a low single-digit percentage from last quarter, the company said. InnoCare, with initial capital of NT$200 million, makes display panels used in medical devices.

Sinyi’s net income jumps more than 10% annuallyBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterSinyi Realty Inc (信義房屋) yesterday posted NT$460 million (US$16.46 million) in net income for the first quarter, more than 10 times the amount reported a year earlier when the COVID-19 outbreak had slowed transactions. A Sinyi Realty Inc store is pictured in the Jinmei area of Taipei’s Wensha District on Sept. 29, 2017. The company yesterday posted NT$460 million (US$16.46 million) in net income for the first quarter, more than 10 times the amount reported a year earlier when the COVID-19 outbreak had slowed transactions. Sinyi’s brokerage business generated 80 percent of its revenue last quarter, while its agency and development arms contributed about 12 percent and 8 percent respectively. Sinyi said agency business is unlikely to grow in the second half, as developers have become conservative.

TOO MANY VEHICLESWith regard to traffic jams, Taiwan’s cities aren’t doing too badly. These include a lack of motorcycle parking slots, illegal parking on sidewalks and in fire lanes, and a great many accidents. The Taoyuan City Government has taken a step in this direction, and begun charging per hour at some motorcycle parking spaces. “The sidewalks were widened and new cycle lanes were put in place, resulting in fewer lanes and less space for vehicular traffic,” Chiu says. Contrasting the situation in Taiwan — where local governments have increased the supply of public parking spots — with that in Japan, Chiu says: “Public on-street parking spaces are scarce in Japan.

Phase 3 of wind farm plan to add 5GW for total of 15By Angelica Oung / Staff reporterIn the third phase of Taiwan’s offshore wind farm development plan, capacity is to be increased by 5 gigawatts (GW) from 2026 to 2035 to a total of 15GW, the Bureau of Energy (BOE) announced yesterday. Bureau of Energy officials present draft regulations for the third phase of Taiwan’s offshore wind farm development plan at a meeting in Taipei yesterday. “Having been through the first two rounds of offshore wind farm development, we trust that our local suppliers have amassed a significant amount of experience,” Yu said. “We have seen credible plans to manufacturer offshore wind substations, so they have been added to the mandatory list,” Lin added. Developers said that they were eager to pin down the “rules,” because the application process for phase three projects opens in June next year and the environmental impact assessment for an offshore wind farm project takes at least one year.

Japan firm plans Taiwan listingStaff writer, with CNAIKKA Holdings (Cayman) Ltd (第一化成控股), a maker of precision plastic injection molded components, is expected to become the first Japanese company to launch a primary listing in Taiwan, with its Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) listing scheduled for May 31, the exchange said. Its major operations are in Japan, as it is an electric vehicle parts supplier to large Japanese automakers. The maker of precision plastic injection molded components is expected to become the first Japanese company to launch a primary listing in Taiwan, with its Taiwan Stock Exchange listing scheduled for May 31. Concord Securities Co (康和證券) and First Securities Inc (第一金證券) would serve as the underwriters for the listing. IKKA Holdings produces electronic parking brakes and toilet and bathroom items in Japan and China, manufactures relay boxes in Vietnam and makes automation machinery parts in Malaysia.

New rules to cut cargo hauls 10%: CALLEFT OUT TO DRY? A CAL official told the Taipei Times that the center’s measures, dubbed the “Down to Zero 2.0” plan, had been misunderstood, as many thought that all 1,279 CAL pilots would immediately stop flying and be quarantined at government centers. The stricter anti-COVID-19 measures that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has imposed on China Airlines are predicted to reduce the airline’s cargo capacity by about 10 percent, the company said yesterday. Even though the company only expects a 10 percent cut in its cargo capacity, the new measures would still affect the air cargo market, a freight forwarder manager said by telephone. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (台積電) and United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) said that their shipments are not likely to be significantly affected by CAL’s reduced cargo capacity.

ChipMOS upbeat as chip demand hikes sales pricesBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterChipMOS Technologies Inc (南茂科技), a display driver IC and memorychip tester and packager, yesterday forecast significant revenue growth for this year as it plans to raise its prices again to reflect the higher cost of copper and other raw materials following strong semiconductor demand. Strong demand for ChipMOS’ services is continuing from last quarter, leading the company to expect revenue this year to increase 15 to 20 percent from NT$23.01 billion (US$823.2 million) last year. The logo of ChipMOS Technologies Inc is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in the Hsinchu Science Park on Nov. 13, 2014. ChipMOS attributed the gap between supply and demand to the global digital transformation. “The firm has increased its inventory to three months of stock to handle rising demand,” Cheng said.

However, groups including the Economic Democracy Union and the National Students’ Union of Taiwan have voiced skepticism about the proposal, saying that protections against theft by Chinese entities are needed. Members of the Economic Democracy Union, National Students’ Union of Taiwan and Taiwan Citizen Front speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Economic Democracy Union researcher Chiang Min-yen (江旻諺) said that Tsinghua University takes advantage of its historical connection to NTHU to carry out “united front” work. Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) suggested two revisions to the draft regulations. First, Taiwan’s semiconductor institutes must ban students from China, as well as from South Korea, as it is Taiwan’s biggest competitor in the field, Lai said.

Taiwan participated in the assembly as an observer from 2009 to 2016, but has since been denied entry. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou speaks at a news conference at the ministry in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei TimesThe foreign ministry would work with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to strive for the nation’s participation until “the last moment,” Ou said. Ou thanked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and like-minded nations for supporting Taiwan’s participation at the WHA, while calling on WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to quickly respond to the calls for “justice” and Taiwan’s participation. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) on Monday said that Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, including WHO-related events, should be handled in terms of the “one China” principle.

City government steps up disease prevention measuresBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Taipei City Government yesterday raised the alert level for COVID-19, with tighter disease prevention measures going into effect, after six locally transmitted cases with unknown infection sources were reported in New Taipei City and Yilan County. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that large outdoor events with more than 500 people and indoor events with more 100 people would be canceled. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, left, and Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang announce a series of restrictions and measures at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, after the Central Epidemic Command Center raised the COVID-19 warning to Level 2. As for the Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students exam, which is to take place this weekend, Ko said that precautionary and disease prevention measures would be announced this morning. While the situation is unclear, the city government has to reduce all public events for now, he said.

Warning issued after 7 new local cases‘LOCAL TRANSMISSION’: The nation reported 11 new cases, including seven local infections in the north, the highest daily number of cases since the pandemic beganBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe COVD-19 situation has entered the “local transmission” stage and enhanced disease prevention measures have been implemented until June 8, the Central Epidemic Command Center announced yesterday as it reported six locally transmitted cases with unclear infection sources. The center reported 11 new cases yesterday: four imported cases from India, and seven local infections in northern Taiwan, the highest daily number of cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that one of the local infections — case No. He sought treatment at a hospital after developing a fever on Sunday and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, Chen said. Eating and drinking is banned on Taiwan High-Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways Administration trains, public buses and other public transportation, Chen said.

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office charged a man surnamed Hsu (徐) over the destruction of a computer at the Zhonglun Police Station in Songshan Precinct after he allegedly entered the station early on April 16 with nine other people. Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office Deputy Chief Prosecutor Chen Yu-ping speaks at a news conference at the office in Taipei yesterday. It showed a group storming into the station and a computer being knocked from a desk onto the floor. Hsu Shu-huan was reprimanded and removed from his post, while Yang was transferred to another station. They also did not charge Hsu Shu-huan and Fu, although their destruction of key evidence related to a crime was “unbecoming of a law enforcement officer,” prosecutors said.

Taipei in contact with student groups after assault in NYBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe government would maintain contact with Taiwanese student associations abroad, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said yesterday, following reports last week of an attack against a Taiwanese woman in New York. Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung answers questions from legislators yesterday during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee. Pan said he regretted the violent incident and that the government’s overseas offices have always been, and would continue to be, in contact with Taiwanese student associations abroad. Although New York police, citing privacy concerns, said they could not provide the victim’s identity or contact information, the office has given her a way to contact the office for assistance at any time, it said. There has been a recent surge in anti-Asian crimes in the New York area, the office said, adding that it would remind Taiwanese abroad to be alert.

Photo courtesy of Xian Lao ManNo China Airlines crew would be permitted to visit public locations until after they complete quarantine and test negative for COVID-19, it said. As opposed to a containable outbreak at an airport hotel, the China Airlines outbreak poses a tougher challenge, as flight crew risk being infected from multiple sources, Chen said. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan, left, speaks to a colleague at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. China Airlines said in a statement that its flight crew would take turns to undergo the 14-day home quarantine in compliance with the plan. Taiwanese in India would have to return to Taiwan via Tokyo on Japan Airlines flights, he said.

The pay increase came after some sectors recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, while others remain affected, the agency said. Employees promote Mothers’ Day deals to customers at the Far Eastern Big City shopping mall in Hsinchu City on Sunday. “While economic activity is largely unaffected by the pandemic, some sectors have not recovered due to lingering travel restrictions,” Chen said. By amount, airlines offered the highest monthly take-home pay at NT$74,292, followed by electricity and gas suppliers at NT$65,164, and insurance and financial institutions at NT$64,040, it said. Transportation companies had the lowest monthly wages at NT$28,352, lower than educational facilities excluding public and private schools at NT$28,393, it said.