President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of August 20 visited the Southern Taiwan Innovation & Research Park to chair a symposium attended by representatives of companies located in industrial zones in Tainan City. The president sought opinions and concerns at the grassroots level, and reiterated that the government is determined to enhance Taiwan's competitiveness and resolve issues important to labor.
In an address to the gathering, President Ma stated that Taiwan's economic prospects continue to point to stable growth. In the wake of economic growth that hit 10.88% last year, the government expects growth this year will still reach 4.81%. Meanwhile, growth next year is expected to be stronger, he said. By way of comparison, the president noted that world economic growth 10 years ago averaged 2.65%, while Taiwan's economic growth then was only 2.7%. Since he took office in May 2008, however, the world economy has experienced average growth of about 1.7% from 2008 to 2011, while Taiwan's average growth rate has been about 3.6%. This demonstrates that the government's move to cut interest rate seven times, to fully insure bank deposits, and to implement the so-called "three supports" policy (whereby the government supported banks, the banks in turn supported enterprises by providing financing, and enterprises supported workers by keeping them on the payroll) were both bold and effective, he said.
The president acknowledged that some people have been skeptical about the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). President Ma stressed, however, that the signing of the ECFA has proven beneficial to the petrochemical and the machine tools industries. In addition, garment and appliance manufacturers have also benefited from a sharp reduction in tariffs. The ECFA, the president explained, is not aimed solely at bolstering business for large enterprises or high-tech companies. Small- and medium-sized enterprises are also benefiting from the agreement, he remarked, adding that the ECFA is truly helping to achieve the government's desired objective of "helping the public do business and enhancing Taiwan's competitiveness."
The president also summarized the government's measures aimed at reducing the wealth gap. He stressed that equitable sharing in the fruits of economic growth is just as important as economic development itself. President Ma emphasized that the government will boost social welfare spending in the next fiscal year to 21% of the central government's total budget. Meanwhile, the government last year instituted a policy in which tuition would be the same for public and private high schools, he said, adding that authorities are also actively addressing labor shortages at some companies and unemployment. He said the government hopes that these issues can be resolved in a way that benefits all parties.
The president then turned his attention to the employment of local and foreign laborers. He reiterated that policy makers should look ahead to the next 20-30 years to design appropriate policies. He pointed to manpower training as an example, noting that four years ago he voiced the idea of waiving tuition for students at vocational high schools, while consistently opposing the idea of transforming vocational high schools into general high schools. President Ma said that interest in attending vocational high schools has gradually increased since the government implemented a program under which tuition is waived for students from medium- and low-income households. There have even been quite a few instances in Taipei and Tainan in which students have elected not to attend general high schools and chosen instead to matriculate at vocational high schools. The president stressed the need for vocational education, explaining that this helps cultivate the talent required by industry and facilitates the development of enterprises. As for labor shortages, the president said he hopes this problem can be addressed by the import of foreign workers. Given the highly sensitive nature of immigration policy, however, we must take a long-term perspective on this issue, he remarked. In addition, the declining birth rate is making it difficult for private schools to recruit sufficient numbers of students. Consequently, the first step needed is to open up Taiwan's campuses and attract foreign students to study here. President Ma explained that many schools here have begun introducing English-language curricula, and students from a number of Southeast Asian nations and diplomatic allies have expressed a keen interest in coming to Taiwan to pursue their studies. In the future if we need more outstanding talent, we can look to recruit among these students, which will help to further bolster Taiwan's economy.
After completing his remarks, the president was accompanied by Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) on a visit to TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd. to understand the manufacturing of automotive lighting equipment and energy-saving lighting devices. The president encouraged the industry to continue to develop energy-efficient technologies in order to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions. The president then made a stop at SportsArt Fitness to personally experience the green energy bicycles, state-of-the-art treadmills, and other high-tech athletic equipment produced by the company. The president praised the innovative spirit and achievements of local companies.