Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. As families gathered together for the traditional meal to celebrate this occasion, President Ma Ying-jeou posted a special video to wish everyone a "Happy New Year," and express his sincere hope that people will prosper and the country remain strong in the Year of the Ram.
The full text of the president's broadcast follows:
Hello to all my compatriots throughout the ROC, and friends watching on television. This is Ma Ying-jeou. The Lunar New Year is fast upon us, and in this Year of the Ram, I wish everyone a "Happy New Year." May your family remain safe and sound, and today mark an auspicious beginning to a year filled with joy.
For me, this year was a bit different, because it was the first time I didn't have a chance to accompany my late mother to shop for special foods for the Lunar New Year celebration. Recalling a famous line from the well-known Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Wang Wei (王維), "Each holiday season fills our hearts with thoughts of family," I was moved to reflect on cherished memories of my mother. So today, as families all over Taiwan gather together, don't forget to express your love and concern for those nearest and dearest to you, thank them, and wish them well. Only the love and trust of family is forever. In our busy daily lives, it's sometimes hard to avoid overlooking those closest to us. Gathering around the dinner table on New Year's Eve reminds us to focus on the value of family.
Speaking of the value of family, I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone some good news. The number of newborns in Taiwan in 2014 surpassed 210,000, which was the second highest in the past 10 years, behind only 2012, which was the Year of the Dragon. Nearly 230,000 children were born that year. In addition, the number of couples getting married last year also reached nearly 150,000, which was the third highest in the past decade. The birth rate among women of childbearing age also stood at 1.16, which was the second highest in the past 10 years.
This news should draw a sigh of relief from those concerned about a possible drop in Taiwan's population in the future, as government measures over the past several years encouraging couples to have children have shown some initial success. Even more important is that young couples are showing faith in Taiwan, the future, and the family. Their decision to have more children has given birth to new hope for Taiwan.
Apart from the government's efforts, we cannot ignore the support provided by the business sector. For instance, Sinyi Realty Inc . in 2013 began offering financial assistance of NT$120,000 to employees who have a second child. When the incentives are good, there will be willing mothers. This policy boosted morale among employees, and 110 employees have applied for these subsidies over the past two years. There are even examples of women having their third and fourth children. So now when women employees are pregnant, they walk heavy with pride, heads held high. Social attitudes have changed, and the joint efforts by various sectors have been the best strategy in overcoming previous problems. Recently, the Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group also decided to give a bonus of NT$70,000 to employees who have a first child. I would like to encourage other enterprises to follow suit and create a new "population dividend."
Boosting the birth rate is not the only policy that has been realized by mobilizing the public. Various reforms in the economic, cross-strait, education, culture, and social spheres rely on the public working together as a big family. The public must embrace a more pragmatic, more democratic, more harmonious, and more tolerant attitude in tackling these challenges. I realize that the government must work even harder to meet the expectations of the public, and I am humbly listening to suggestions and criticisms from all sides with an open mind. My only hope is that on the basis of pragmatism the public as a whole will be pragmatic, and promote "social reconciliation, cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties, and peace across the Taiwan Strait." Even though our opinions differ, I'm confident that only through tolerance can we eliminate conflict, and only through communication can we promote democracy. I hope that in the new year, we can create a new atmosphere in which the ruling and opposition parties have a more diverse dialogue so we can establish a familial feeling of mutual trust and tolerance, and recover the kindness and goodwill among our people.
As we usher in the new year, let's take a brief look at last year, when the Taiwan economy staged a turnaround. Although the international economy still experienced instability, thanks to the efforts of the public, Taiwan's exports were up. The stock market rose, and the number of tourists visiting Taiwan grew by 1.9 million. Our economic growth was pegged at a three-year high of 3.51% (most recently revised upward to 3.74%), with growth surpassing Singapore and Korea (and the latest statistics placing Taiwan's growth in the lead of the four Asian tigers). The unemployment rate fell to a seven-year low of 3.96%, while consumer price index (CPI) was at only 1.2%, the second lowest of the four Asian tigers. In addition, the rise in salaries was the highest in four years. The stock market continued to rise, with each investor last year earning on average NT$250,000 (revised to NT$360,000 as of the close of the market prior to the Lunar New Year holiday). The Heritage Foundation, a US think tank, ranked Taiwan 14th in its 2015 Index of Economic Freedom and fifth in Asia, our highest ranking ever. Since I took office 2008, the ROC's ranking has risen 14 spots, putting us among the most rapidly developing economies. In addition, the social welfare budget to care for the underprivileged and disadvantaged continues to set new highs as a percentage of the total budget. This has played a role in bringing the wealth disparity at the family and individual levels down to five-year and 13-year lows, respectively. This is also the lowest level among the four tigers and has helped reduce the wealth gap here. Both domestic and foreign institutions forecast that the state of the economy this year will be even better than in 2014. A survey conducted by CommonWealth magazine indicated that nearly 80% of businesses have plans to raise salaries, and this is something we are looking forward to seeing.
After experiencing a year of turbulence, we welcome a new year full of joy and gratitude. I want to express my sincere thanks to the people of Taiwan, and hope everyone will work together for the sake of our families, and our country. Last year we were able to buck the trend and post growth, and this year will be even better as we work together to create a new era.
Here, I want to extend my heartfelt best wishes to one and all. In the coming year, may everyone enjoy happiness and prosperity; may our country remain strong. Thank you!