Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/31
By: Tien Yu-pin, Jeff Chang and Frances Huang

Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) Equity investors in Taiwan suffered average losses of about NT$250,000 (US$7,576) in 2015 year, as the weighted index on the local main board fell more than 10 percent this year, market statistics showed Thursday.

The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) closed 0.7 percent higher at 8,338.06 points Thursday, the last trading day of the year.

However, the index dropped 10.41 percent, or 969.20 points, for the year, the steepest annual decline since 2011 when it fell 21.18 percent.

On average, equity investors sustained losses of NT$250,000, which were calculated based on 9.59 million valid securities investment accounts after a sharp annual decline of NT$2.41 trillion in market capitalization on the main board.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/01
By: Jackson Chang and Frances Huang

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) The Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, which supervises the park, urged high-tech firms located there Friday to conserve water at a time when two major reservoirs that supply the industrial park have reported falling water levels.

The bureau said that the water level of the Shimen Reservoir, which supplies water to the science park’s Lungtan District, has fallen to 68.62 percent from 93.46 percent recorded in early November, as rainfall has been lower than expected.

The water level of the Second Baoshan Reservoir, which supplies the entire Hsinchu Science Park, has dropped to 75.93 percent from 98.84 percent registered in early November, also due to lower-than- expected rainfall.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/02
By: Wei Shu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) Taiwan’s economy was sluggish in 2015, but some big

FPG headquarters in Taipei.

conglomerates are still planning to dole out year-end bonuses to their employees, market sources said Saturday.

The sources said that among these business groups, the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團) is likely to give bonuses equal to at least four months of salary, even as its bottom line has been hurt by plunging international crude oil prices.

FPG and other business heavyweights have laid a sound foundation after years of development and have been able to fend off the headwinds under the current unfavorable economic conditions, the sources said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/01
By: Esme Jiang and Frances Huang

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) Chunghwa Telecom Co. (中華電信), one of Taiwan’s leading telecom operators, said Friday that the transmission volume of its 4G telecom services on New Year’s Eve rose more than 200 percent from a year earlier.

The significant increase in 4G usage largely resulted from its huge rise in 4G subscribers, from about 1 million at the end of 2014 to 4.4 million at the end of 2015, the company said.

These subscribers were constantly on social media sharing in the festivities with others or sending New Year’s greetings to family and friends, boosting 4G transmission volume, Chunghwa Telecom said.

Anticipating the sharp increase in 4G usage on New Year’s Eve, Chunghwa Telecom deployed an additional 170 mobile base stations around Taiwan on the day.      [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-31
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement during the ministry’s year-end

Taiwan said to lift ban on Chinese agricultural imports

press conference Wednesday that Taiwan and China have reached a common ground on the goal to remove tariffs on 90 percent of both sides’ products.
Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement during its year-end press conference Wednesday that Taiwan and China have reached a common ground to remove tariffs on 90 percent of the trade-in-goods.

The 12th and the latest round of talks on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) took place last month ended with China’s request for Taiwan to lift import bans on Chinese farm produce, and was turned down by the Taiwanese government due to the concerns over the impact of Chinese imports on Taiwan’s industries.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/31
By: Tien Yu-pin, Jeff Chang and Frances Huang

Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) Equity investors in Taiwan suffered average losses of about NT$250,000 (US$7,576) in 2015 year, as the weighted index on the local main board fell more than 10 percent this year, market statistics showed Thursday.

The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) closed 0.7 percent higher at 8,338.06 points Thursday, the last trading day of the year.

However, the index dropped 10.41 percent, or 969.20 points, for the year, the steepest annual decline since 2011 when it fell 21.18 percent.

On average, equity investors sustained losses of NT$250,000, which were calculated based on 9.59 million valid securities investment accounts after a sharp annual decline of NT$2.41 trillion in market capitalization on the main board.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/30
By: Jalen Chung and Frances Huang

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Siliconware Precision Industries Co. (矽品), Taiwan’s second largest integrated circuit packaging and testing services provider, said Wednesday that it will respond within 10 days to a tender offer proposed by Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE, 日月光) for an additional stake.

Siliconware, which last week described ASE’s tender offer as “hostile,” said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange that it had received a prospectus on the tender offer and related documents from ASE, and will hold a screening meeting within 10 days and respond to the buy-out offer before Jan. 9 next year.

ASE is the largest IC packaging and testing firm in the world, ahead of U.S.-based Amkor Technology Inc. and Siliconware.     [FULL  STORY]