After hearing the presentation made by the Executive Yuan on the preparation of the 2007 Central Government Budget Proposal on August 4 at the Office of the President, President Chen Shui-bian asked the Executive Yuan to study how to actively improve Taiwan's investment situation and to give a boost to investment incentives so as to allow the overall level of investment to satisfy the targets set at the Conference on Sustaining Taiwan's Economic Development.
He specifically pointed out these goals as an annual economic growth rate that spans from four to five percent, an unemployment rate that is lower than four percent, and a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$30,000 by 2015.
The president emphasized that the policy orientations on "increasing investment in Taiwan, creating employment, narrowing the cleft between urban and rural areas, and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor" should be precisely reflected in the budget proposal.
Meanwhile, the president gave recognition to the proposed budget for retaining the research and development outlay at 3% of GDP, and for pegging the national defense expenditure at 2.85% of GDP with an ideal level of 3% by 2008.
Together with Vice President Annette Lu, Secretary-General to the President Mark Chen, and National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen, the president was briefed by Premier Su Tseng-chang, the minister of finance, and the head of the Director-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.