Institute increases GDP forecast
Institute increases GDP forecast‘K-SHAPED RECOVERY’: The Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute’s president said that export growth and declining imports had improved the trade surplus from last yearBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute (元大寶華綜經院) yesterday raised its GDP growth forecast for Taiwan to 1.63 percent, up from its March prediction of 1.5 percent, due to better-than-expected exports, Yuanta-Polaris president Liang Kuo-yuan (梁國源) said. The growth also beat some foreign think tank forecasts that Taiwan’s exports would fall prey to contracting global trade amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute president Liang Kuo-yuan speaks at a news conference in Taipei on March 25. “Thanks to stable growth in exports and declining imports due to falling oil prices, the nation’s trade surplus improved from a year earlier, which also helped support GDP growth,” he said. The institute projected a “K-shaped recovery” for Taiwan’s economy, meaning uneven but continued growth among different sectors and income groups.
Source:Taipei Times
September 23, 2020 15:56 UTC
Foundation urges action against fishery pollution
A copy of an illustrated handbook featuring pictures of abandoned fishing gear found in Taiwan’s waters is pictured at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Abandoned fishing gear are displayed at a news conference held by the Kuroshio Ocean Education Foundation in Taipei yesterday. Of more than 100 tonnes of garbage collected from waters near Taiwan last year, waste fishing gear made up 60 tonnes — the most among all garbage, she said, citing OCA data. In January, a 24m-long dead blue whale washed ashore on Taitung County’s coast, and the creature was entangled in fishing nets and might have starved to death, she said. However, those who fail to identify their gear when fishing would face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 22, 2020 15:56 UTC
MRT fare evasion crackdown urged
MRT fare evasion crackdown urgedBy Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNATaipei City Councilor Wang Hao (王浩) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Monday called for security improvements to the MRT, as fare evasion has increased more than 13-fold on the metropolitan railway system over the past five years. Passengers wait on a platform at Jingan MRT Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District on Monday. Of the 481 cases of fare evasion, more than 20 percent (103 cases) were committed by 43 repeat offenders, one of whom was caught five times, the data showed. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp vowed to propose an improvement plan within a week. The Mass Rapid Transit Act (大眾捷運法) states that those found guilty of fare evasion, in addition to having to pay the original fare, must also pay an additional fine of up to 50 times the original fare or NT$4,500.
Source:Taipei Times
September 22, 2020 15:56 UTC
Cathay lowers GDP growth forecast for second time
Cathay lowers GDP growth forecast for second timeBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterCathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) yesterday lowered its forecast for the nation’s GDP growth for a second time this year to 1.7 percent, from the 1.8 percent it predicted in June, due to weaker-than-expected economic performance in the first half of the year. Hsu Chih-chiang, an economics professor at National Central University and the head of a research team commissioned by Cathay Financial Holding Co, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. “Exports likely hit US$28 billion this month, which would raise the third quarter’s total exports to US$88 billion, beyond the government’s prediction of US$84 billion,” Hsu said. Cathay Financial expects the economy to recover next year with annual growth of 2.9 percent, which would be higher than the nation’s average GDP growth of 2.7 percent over the past 10 years, Hsu said. “While the government has predicted a V-shaped recovery in the economy, Cathay Financial tends to expect a swoosh-shaped rebound, which means that it would take a long while for the economy to get back to the pre-pandemic situation due to uncertainty,” Hsu said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Legislature must approve detention of lawmakers
“If the Taipei District Court decides to extend the detention of the four sitting legislators, then the court must ask for permission through an official letter. Then Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) would convene cross-party negotiations to deliberate on the matter,” Lin said. Police officers guard an entrance to the Legislative Yuan in Taipei in an undated photograph. In theory, the judiciary should seek the legislature’s permission to extend the detention, so the legislative speaker would have to look into the matter,” DPP caucus whip Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said. It is time to amend the conduct rules to dismiss legislators from office when they are convicted in court.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Test charter flight from Manila lands at Hengchun
Test charter flight from Manila lands at HengchunBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterA Philippine charter flight arrived at Pingtung County’s Hengchun Airport yesterday morning as part of a trial run on resuming passenger operations at the facility, the first passenger jet to land at the airport since 2014. The Dornier 328-110 turboprop from Platinum Skies Aviation departed Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and arrived at Hengchun at 10:39am. A charter flight from the Philippines is seen behind Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an on the runway at Hengchun Airport yesterday. The test flight had been scheduled for June, but was postponed because of the pandemic, he said. “We hope the airline would secure the aviation rights to offer charter flight services, and that more travelers from neighboring countries could arrive via charter flights.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Black pig farmers battling to meet government rules
Black pig farmers battling to meet government rulesBy Chiu Chih-jou and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerSome farmers who raise black pigs in Pingtung County have cut their supply by 20 percent, or stopped producing them entirely, due to repercussions of the government’s efforts to keep African swine fever out of the nation. About 12 percent of domestically raised pigs are fed food waste, and most are black pigs, Council of Agriculture data showed. Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei TimesThe cooperative, formed by 62 hog farmers, produces an average of 120,000 to 150,000 black piglets per year, and has a 20 percent share of the nation’s black pig market. Demand for the meat of black pigs has long exceeded supply, making the decreased production a problem, he added. Most of Pingtung’s black pig farmers make a profit from breeding piglets, and while they often work alone, a potential solution could be forming alliances to build a complete black pig industry chain to sustain them, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Five politicians charged with graft
Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office Deputy Chief Prosecutor Chen Yu-ping speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Therefore, we have asked the court to mete out heavy punishment with the strongest sentences as a deterrent,” she added. Lee has been fighting with Far Eastern Group chairman Douglas Hsu (徐旭東) over Pacific SOGO’s ownership since the early 2000s. Prosecutors also alleged that Su accepted more than NT$25.8 million from Lee, while Sufin allegedly took NT$7.9 million and Chen NT$1 million. A bail hearing for Chen, Sufin, Su and Chao at the Taipei District Court was ongoing as of press time last night.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Nanoparticle exposure has risks: study
Nanoparticle exposure has risks: studyDANGER: Workers exposed to nanoparticles can experience oxidative stress, which can cause cell injury and increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular or lung damageBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterA panel study by National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) researchers has found that long-term exposure to nanoparticles can cause oxidative stress, which can lead to cell damage and inflammation. The study found that long-term exposure to nanoparticles can cause oxidative stress, which is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, as the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase was significantly elevated in the workers who handled nanomaterials, Wu said. Oxidative stress can cause chronic inflammation, leading to a higher risk of cardiovascular or lung damage and cell injury, he said. However, cardiovascular dysfunction, lung damage, inflammation, oxidative damage, and neurobehavioral and genotoxic markers were not found to be directly associated with handling nanomaterials, he said, adding that direct adverse health effects from long-term exposure to nanoparticles were not found through the study. However, researchers found that many workers were only wearing activated carbon masks when handling nanomaterials, and the team has suggested that they wear N95 respirators to better protect against nanoparticles, Wu added.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
KMT seeks to clarify position on US, China
The exterior of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) headquarters in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei TimesFollowing the lead of KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), the party is to seek “value” in its relations with the US and China, party sources said. Having two KMT members stationed in the US would cost the party a minimum of US$500,000 per year, which includes rent and personnel costs, party sources said. Regarding China, the party supports cross-strait exchanges, which is why it had initially planned to attend the Straits Forum, they said. There are some KMT members who take an anti-US stance, but they do not represent the party’s official position on the US, they added.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Marked masks only sold via rationing, CECC says
Marked masks only sold via rationing, CECC saysIMPORTED: Case No. The CECC has required local mask suppliers to produce masks bearing the markings by Sept. 24 to help people identify Taiwanese-made medical-grade masks. Separately yesterday, the CECC reported two imported cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of confirmed cases in Taiwan to 509. He tested positive yesterday, and 14 passengers who sat near him on the flight to Taiwan have been put under home isolation, Chuang said. 509 had already been put under home isolation and an additional four passengers were placed in home isolation yesterday due to case No.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Postal firm to launch card with TRTC
Postal firm to launch card with TRTCCONVENIENCE: Cardholders would be able to access public transit across the nation, including MRT systems and public buses, once Chunghwa Post’s proposal is approvedBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterChunghwa Post yesterday said that it would launch a co-branded Visa debit card with Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) before the end of this year. People would be able to use the cards to access public transport systems nationwide, including MRT systems and public bus services, once the proposal secures approval from the Financial Supervisory Commission, the postal company said. The company launched the postal savings Visa debit card in September 2009. Allowing cardholders to use the Visa debit card to access the public transport system could motivate more people to apply for the card, the postal company said. In other news, the postal company said that it generated a profit of NT$14.2 billion (US$487.1 million) from January to last month, despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing severe delays in mail and package deliveries.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
US talks pave way for formal dialogue
Although the delegation maintained a low profile and held meetings with government officials behind closed doors, their exchanges were to prepare for a formal dialogue and pave the way for more specific discussions before reaching any concrete results, she said. Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua, right, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Huang Pei-chun, Taipei TimesThe Taiwanese officials who attended the meeting included Wang, Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) and Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), according to the Central News Agency. Although Friday’s talks were informal, it was an important step for Taiwan and the US, Wang said, adding that the atmosphere in the meeting was good. Regarding investment review, Taiwanese officials introduced the delegation to the nation’s foreign investment review regulations, especially a separate review of Chinese capital, which received special attention from the US, she said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
China a threat to whole region: Tsai
Tsai yesterday denounced China’s drills, saying that its activities where more than just a threat to Taiwan. “Additionally, other countries in the region also have a better understanding of the threat posed by China,” she said. Due to the growing threat from China, the ministry has held a series of briefings at the Air Force Combat Command to ensure that Taiwan’s fighter jet pilots follow protocol for engaging enemy threats, a military source said. The military would continue to beef up its defense capabilities in that area, amid the growing threat from across the Strait, the source added. The computerized war games, held from Monday last week to Friday, simulated a full-scale invasion attempt by China.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
Control Yuan duo seek probe of PO’s former spokesman
Then-Presidential Office spokesman Ting Yun-kung speaks to reporters in Taipei on Aug. 21. Control Yuan members Wang Mei-yu (王美玉) and Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容) said they had contacted the reporter and hoped she would help the investigation to determine whether Ting’s alleged affairs affected his administrative responsibilities. However, to protect her interests, they contacted her as members of the new National Human Rights Committee, not as Control Yuan members, they said. Wang and Chi said they had not ruled out questioning Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊), who was Kaohsiung mayor from Dec. 25, 2006, to April 20, 2018. Control Yuan members would follow the law and their authority in investigating the case, Chen said, adding that she was not concerned about such a probe.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2020 15:56 UTC