Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/07
By: Chiu Po-sheng and Frances Huang

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) Taiwan’s exports grew 10 percent from a year earlier in April at a time when the global economy continued to show steady growth, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said Monday.

The MOF said increasing tech applications worldwide, rising raw material prices, and strong demand from China for electronics components gave a significant boost to Taiwan’s outbound sales in April.

Data compiled by the MOF showed exports in April rose 10 percent from a year earlier to US$26.73 billion, marking the second consecutive month with a year-on-year increase in outbound sales after a 16.7 percent increase seen in March.

Taiwan’s imports also grew 4.9 percent year-on-year in April to US$22.58 billion, yielding a trade surplus of US$4.15 billion, up US$1.38 billion from a year earlier, the data showed.    [FULL  STORY]

In a bid to solve the low wage issue that has been plaguing Taiwan’s young workers, the country’s Cabinet is mulling a raise of the basic wage as well as the hourly pays for

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/05/06
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—In a bid to solve the low wage issue that has been plaguing

Taiwan’s young workers, the country’s Cabinet is mulling a raise of the basic wage as well as the hourly pays for college part-time teachers and elementary and junior high school substitute teachers and part-time teachers, according to a CNA report published on Sunday.

People familiar with the matter told CNA that the schemes being discussed include raising the basic wage, raising the hourly pays for public and private college part-time teachers as well as junior high school and elementary school substitute teachers and part-time teachers, and at least NT$30,000 for central government contractor workers, according to the report.

Currently, the central government employs several thousand contract workers, most of whom are young people, but their salaries are generally lower than NT$30,000, the report said, adding that the schemes are still under discussion and have not been finalized yet.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/06
By: Chu Tse-wei and William Yen

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) State-owned oil refiner CPC Corp., Taiwan said Sunday that it

will cut gasoline prices this week by NT$0.1 (US$0.0034) per liter, ending three weeks of increases.

Effective midnight Sunday, prices at CPC gas stations nationwide will be NT$28.1 per liter for 92 octane unleaded, NT$29.6 per liter for 95 unleaded, NT$31.6 per liter for 98 unleaded, while super diesel remains unchanged at NT$26.1 per liter, the company said.

According to CPC, crude oil prices fell slightly this week mainly due to an increase in crude inventories in the United States.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/05
By: Chiu Po-sheng and Frances Huang

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves broke a 12- month rising streak at the end of April as total foreign currency holdings fell from a month earlier, reflecting the depreciation of non-U.S. dollar currencies, including the euro, in the central bank’s asset management portfolio, according to the bank.

When non-U.S. foreign currency denominated assets were converted into the U.S. dollar in the investment portfolio, the central bank said, an increase in returns from the bank’s asset management efforts was compromised, which dragged down the value of these non-greenback denominated assets in U.S. dollar terms as of the end of April.

Data compiled by the central bank showed Taiwan’s forex reserves at the end of April stood at US$457.13 billion, down US$56 million from a month earlier, stopping a 12-month increase.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/05
By: Wei Shu and Frances Huang

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) Transactions in Taiwan’s property market fell in April despite a rise in the listing of homes that are being built or are newly completed, according to a survey conducted by real estate magazine My Housing, indicating potential buyers were still taking a wait and see attitude.

The magazine said April was a traditional peak season for the local property market and it was no surprise that property developers were keen to launch homes in the month to boost buying interest.

The real estate magazine said that out of the six sub-factors in the housing index for April, the sub-indexes for the listing of pre-sale homes still being built and the listing of newly-completed homes rose to 7.99 and 6.11, respectively, up from 7.26 and 4.16 seen in March, boosting the entire index.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/05
By: Jiang Ming-yan and Frances Huang 

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) Taiwan-based smartphone brand HTC Corp. continues to feel the pinch from stiff competition in the global smartphone market, reporting its lowest sales figures for April in more than 13 years.

In April, HTC posted NT$2.1 billion (US$70.71 million) in consolidated sales, down 24.18 percent from a month earlier and 55.47 percent from a year earlier.

The April figure was the lowest monthly sales for HTC since August 2004, when the company’s revenue stood at NT$2.05 billion. It was the third consecutive month HTC has reported sales under NT$3 billion.

Market analysts said the weaker sales numbers reflect a product vacuum at HTC, which did not launch a new flagship product to boost buying interest in April, while its efforts to expand into the virtual reality business have failed to revive the company’s fortunes.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/05 
By: Emerson Lim and Lee Hsin-Yin

Mandaluyong, Philippines, May 5 (CNA) Taiwan’s Finance Minister Sheu Yu-jer (許虞哲) on Saturday urged more cooperation between Taiwan and the Asian

Development Bank (ADB) at the annual meeting of the ADB Board of Governors in Mandaluyong, the Philippines.

Sheu told CNA that he has asked the ADB to employ more Taiwan nationals, to create more business opportunities and promote the Taiwanese government’s New Southbound Policy.

The policy was launched in mid-2016 to reduce Taiwan’s dependence on China and increase cooperation with Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, as well as New Zealand and Australia.    [FULL  STORY]