Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/29
By: Jackson Chang and Frances Huang

Taipei, April 29 (CNA) MediaTek Inc., one of Taiwan’s leading integrated circuit designers, said Friday that its net profit for the first quarter of 2016 rose from a quarter earlier because of a reduction in non-recurring costs.

At an investor conference, MediaTek reported a net profit for the quarter of NT$4.47 billion (US$138 million), up about 7 percent from the previous quarter with the help of a sequential fall in one-time charges.

It had first quarter earnings per share of NT$2.79, compared with NT$2.83 in the fourth quarter of 2015, the company said.

Despite the increase in net profit for the January-March period, MediaTek’s gross margin fell 0.4 percentage points from a quarter earlier and was down 9.2 percentage points from a year earlier to 38.1 percent.

The IC designer said the falling gross margin resulted from escalating competition in the global smartphone market. Smartphone chips accounted for about 60 percent of MediaTek’s total revenue.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/28
By Ku Chuan and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) The Chiu Su Jen Yoga Center, a leading yoga studio chain in Taiwan, which abruptly suspended operations Thursday, will be ordered to stop enrolling new students if it is unable to continue to offer classes, the city government said.

Officials from the city’s Department of Education found during an inspection of its nine yoga studios in Taipei that the entrances were locked and no one would answer the doors, with two outlets posting a notice outside stating that their operations were suspended due to financial difficulties caused by poor management, according to the city government.

The education department said that it will order the center to stop enrolling students according to the Management Rules on Taipei’s Short-term Cram Schools (台北短期補習班管理辦法). If the center is unable to ensure that it will be able to continue to provide courses and safeguard the interests of the students, the department will revoke its license.

It is still unclear how many students would be affected by the suspension of operations.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/27
By: Tien Yu-pin and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, April 27 (CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) will hold a conference on May 5 for auditing executives of listed companies to improve their professional knowledge and raise awareness of their companies’ social responsibility.

Leading executives in the auditing departments of 109 listed companies across several sectors, including semiconductors and electronic components, have been invited to attend the conference covering corporate social responsibility and a whistleblower reporting mechanism, TWSE has said.

The conference will be the latest in its series of gatherings on corporate governance, part of the TWSE’s ongoing campaign to promote better corporate management and help enterprises compile corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports.

CSR means that beyond doing everything they can to pursue revenue growth and maximize the benefits of their stockholders, companies should also contribute to society and minimize their environmental footprint through their core capabilities, TWSE said.     [FULL  STORY]

ANOTHER FLASH OF BLUE:National Development Council Director Wu Ming-huei said that almost all economic barometers showed negative movements last month

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 28, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporterBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter

The government’s business monitoring system flashed the 10th straight “blue” signal last month, reflecting a continued weakness in the nation’s economy without signs of a recovery, the National Development Council said yesterday.

The council’s Taiwan Business Indicators stood at 15, shedding one point from February, dragged by slacker imports of machinery and electric equipment, the monthly report said.

“Almost all barometers showed negative movements, although the pace of decline did not widen,” council Director Wu Ming-huei (吳明蕙) told reporters.

A “blue” light indicates economic weakness, while “green” suggests stable conditions and a “red” light signifies overheating.

Chance of a signal change is slim before the second half of the year as the current quarter is a slow season for technology product sales, Wu said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/26
By: Liu Te-chang and Elaine Hou

Bangkok, April 26 (CNA) A Taiwan-Thailand investment forum was held Tuesday in Bangkok, in

an effort to promote investment exchanges between the two countries.

Organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, the forum was attended by officials and business representatives from both sides.

The Taiwanese delegation to the forum consisted of representatives from the automobile parts, green energy and construction sectors, said Lien Yu-ping (連玉蘋), director-general of the ministry’s Department of Investment Services.

In addition to the forum, the delegates also had the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with their Thai counterparts to explore business opportunities, Lien said.     [FULL  STORY]