Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/23
By: Tien Yu-pin and Frances Huang 

Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, dominated the country’s private investment in the last three years, according to the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE).

Data compiled by the TWSE, which operates the local main board, shows that TSMC invested a total of NT$821.1 billion in capital assets, which refers to production equipment, manufacturing plants and other property for development, during the 2014-2016 period, accounting for about 48 percent of the total NT$1.71 trillion invested by the listed companies on the main board.

The data shows that TSMC’s smaller rival, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), took second place in the rankings for fixed asset investments by injecting NT$123 billion, far behind TSMC’s figure.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-22

Taiwan’s economic growth for 2017 is estimated at 2.64%, while 2.43% growth is predicted

for next year. That’s according to CIER, one of Taiwan’s top economic think tanks.

CIER’s analysts believe a steadily recovering global market and a lift in commodity prices helped boost Taiwan’s exports in the first three quarters of 2017. The growth is seen from a continuous increase in export orders and in the Procurement Management Index. They said the momentum will carry over to next year. However, growth may be slightly hampered by a higher base number and the Chinese economy, which is in a state of transition.

CIER senior analyst Chou Yu-tien said domestic consumption is estimated to grow by 2.12% next year, thanks to the government’s policy of increasing wages for public sector employees. Chou said domestic investment and exports are estimated to grow by 2.8% and 5.04%, respectively.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2017/12/22
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei (Taiwan News) — To improve the availability, accuracy and quality of credit information, the Joint Credit Information Center (JCIC) has established two awards since 2007 to honor financial institutions outperforming in the management of credit information security and information quality. This year, a total of 24 institutions were selected to receive the two awards and were honored in a ceremony on Friday.

The event was attended and celebrated by Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄), FSC Banking Bureau Deputy Director-General Jean Chiu (邱淑貞), Chief Director of the Bankers Association Lu Chu-cheng (呂桔誠）, and Bureau of Agricultural Finance Director Hsu Wei-wen (許維文).     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/22
By: Liao Yu-yang and Frances Huang

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) Taiwan’s industrial production grew for the seventh consecutive

month in November from a year earlier, boosted by strong global demand as the world economy continues on the path of recovery, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Friday.

The MOEA said the industrial production index for November rose 0.85 percent from a year earlier to 112.33. That was lower, however, than the year-on-year increase of 2.55 percent in October.

On a month-on-month basis, Taiwan’s industrial production in November was up 0.38 percent in nominal terms and up 0.61 percent after seasonal adjustments, the MOEA said.

The sub-index of the manufacturing sector, which accounts for more than 90 percent of Taiwan’s industrial production, grew 1.16 percent from a year earlier in November after a 3.10 percent year-on-year rise in October.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-19

The Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) announced Tuesday that it now

predicts Taiwan’s economic growth for the year will reach 2.53%.

This would make 2017 the third consecutive year with increased economic growth. By comparison, growth in 2016 reached 1.41%. CIER head Wu Chung-shu says global economic recovery this year has exceeded expectations, spurring growth in trade.

With a higher base level brought by growth this year, the CIER is forecasting a somewhat lower rate of growth for 2018 — 2.27%. Wu said that with government efforts to raise wages, growth next year will rely on domestic consumption. Wu also said the government’s infrastructure plan could be beneficial to the economy next year if it manages to spur private investment. However, he said a decline in capital goods coming into Taiwan should still be reversed.    [FULL  STORY]

Nearly 80 percent of Taiwanese companies are planning to give their workers an average raise of 4.7 percent in 2018

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/19
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nearly 80 percent of companies in Taiwan plan on giving their

employees a 4.7 percent raise on average to their employees in the coming new year, according to a survey by yes123.

According to the results of a survey published yesterday (Dec. 18) by the online job bank yes123, 52.4 percent of companies estimated that their operating conditions will be better next year than the current year, while 42.7 percent thought conditions would stay the same and only 4.9 percent thought business would get worse.

This overall positive outlook on business next year translates into an increased willingness to raise salaries. The survey found that 70.3 percent plan to raise salaries, with 61 percent basing the increase on their performance, while 18. percent say they will give the pay raise to all employees.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/19
By: Wei Shu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Dec. 19 (CNA) Transactions of commercial properties around Taiwan rose only

slightly in 2017, as a fall in investment by life insurers compromised growth, property management firm Savills plc said Tuesday.

Transactions in Taiwan of large commercial properties valued at no less than NT$300 million (US$110 million) in each transaction totaled NT$69.1 billion in 2017, up 4.8 percent from a year earlier, data compiled by Savills showed.

The data does not include the transactions of land which were used for construction of offices, shops or factories, Savills said.

In 2008, Taiwan’s commercial property sales dipped to a low of NT$50 billion as the local property market felt the pinch of the global financial crisis at that time, but transaction values have increased since then, according to the property agency.    [FULL  STORY]