Monthly Archives: April 2016

Short sales could cost investors more: TWSE

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/30
By: Tien Yu-pin and Frances Huang

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) When investors borrow securities for a short sale purpose, they can spend more than they had previously anticipated, according to the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE).

Since 2003, Taiwan has been allowing securities borrowing and lending (SBL) in a bid to give investors more flexibility to map out their investment strategies.

Through SBL, investors are able to short stocks, hedge risks or return stocks they had previously borrowed. The TWSE and brokerages serve as the principal securities lenders, and investors are able to borrow securities through competitive bids or negotiations under the current SBL system.

The TWSE, which operates the local main board, said that investors have to pay fees for competitive bids or negotiations and the fees will not be included into the deposits they have to place with the lenders. The deposits could hit as much as 90 percent of the borrowed stock’s value.     [FULL  STORY]

Air pollution north of Tainan reaches hazardous levels

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-30
By: By Yu Hsiao-han and Lilian Wu, Central News Agency

Concentrations of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) were at “high” and “very high” levels in areas north of Tainan in western Taiwan, with the air pollution PM2.5 indexes there reaching between 8-10, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) reported Saturday.

An index of 10 indicates the highest and most hazardous PM 2.5 concentration. According to the EPA’s air quality monitoring network at 10:30 a.m., the PM 2.5 concentrations detected at monitoring stations were at “very high” levels in Tainan, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Miaoli, and Taoyuan cities and counties, and in the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu.

The EPA said concentrations of PM 2.5 in Kinmen and Matsu were very high because of pollutants from outside — presumably from mainland China, while the high concentration in western Taiwan was due to poor atmospheric circulation and the situation there is expected to improve after rainfalls.

Under Taiwan’s 10-tier PM2.5 index, with level 10 (71 痢/cubic meter or above) being the highest, measurements above level 7 (54-58 痢/cubic meter) are deemed severe enough to cause tangible discomfort and health problems.

The EPA said children and the elderly in areas north of Tainan should refrain from outdoor activities and the public are advised to wear masks if they have to go outdoors.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese short film wins Golden Reel Award at LAAPFF

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/30
By: Tsao Yu-fan and Romulo Huang

Los Angeles, April 29 (CNA) Taiwanese director Joseph Chen-chieh Hsu’s (許承傑) latest short

from LAAPFF website

from LAAPFF website

“The Lobster Kid” (龍蝦小孩) won the Golden Reel Award at the just-concluded Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), the highest honor granted at the festival for a short film.

A total of 106 short films from the Asia-Pacific region were screened at the annual festival held in Los Angeles April 21-28, while 34 features were selected for the week-long event.

The synopsis of the award-winning short is that a 13-year-old orphan girl named Siang works for a gang as a street vendor. Her dream is to move to pursue a better life. When she attempts to secretly board a train to Taitung, her boss throws away her train ticket. When Siang meets a street monk, who begs for alms on the streets, she becomes intrigued by his silent kindness. To fulfill her duties as a street vendor, Siang joins the monk traveling door to door in a fun and unexpected journey.

“The Lobster Kid” had its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2015 at the Asia International competition. It has been invited to more than 15 festivals, including winning the best Asian short film in Dallas and Best Air Canada short in the Canada Reelasian Film Festival.     [FULL  STORY]

Hochen to scrap Taipei-Yilan rail

Taipei Times
Date: May 01, 2016
By: Staff Writer, with CNA

Incoming minister of transportation and communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) has indicated his intention to scrap a government plan to build a new direct rail route between Taipei and Yilan, a local daily newspaper reported yesterday.

Hochen, who is to assume office under the new administration of president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to be sworn in on May 20, also expressed his opposition to a proposal to include the Dongao (東澳)-Nanao (南澳) section in the Suhua Highway improvement project, in an interview published by the Chinese-language China Times.

The Taipei-Yilan direct rail route plan, which is expected to cost NT$50 billion (US$1.55 billion), was designed to reduce travel time to eastern Taiwan, but the minister-designate questioned the cost-efficiency of spending tens of billions of New Taiwan dollars just to cut travel time, saying the ministry should evaluate the plan more carefully.

He said that although residents in the eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung and tourists heading to the areas are hoping for shorter travel times, the government should consider the tourism characteristics of different areas and promote the idea of “slow travel.”

Another key issue is adjusting train dispatching and ticket prices to allow residents in eastern Taiwan to purchase train tickets more easily, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

President-elect Tsai warns own Cabinet members

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-30
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday warned her prospective 6751426government members against wasting the team’s credit by making careless remarks.

She made the statement in an address to a “consensus camp” in Taipei City’s Yangmingshan area of her Premier-designate Lin Chuan with about 40 of the ministers and Cabinet members who will be sworn in on May 20.

Remarks by at least three of the members had to be countered by the prospective Cabinet leadership after they caused public unease.

“In the democratic era, eight years of accumulated effort can be undone by eight seconds of careless talk,” Tsai reportedly told her team, referring to the eight years she and her Democratic Progressive Party spent in opposition before winning last January’s elections.

She added that government ministers should follow the same “Three No’s” that she had always adhered to herself. First of all, politicians needed to be careful about what they said and use action to persuade their opponents rather than confrontational talk. Secondly, officials needed to listen to their subordinates, and thirdly, government members could not afford to lose touch with society, and interpret criticism from social groups as a force for change.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Regulations Loosened for Purchasing Alcohol Online

The News Lens
Date: 2016/04/29
By: Yang Olivia

On April 28, the Executive Yuan passed the draft amendment of “The Tobacco and Alcohol 5421040633_b02fca4ea0_bAdministration Act.” Once the Legislative Yuan passes the amendment, consumers will be able to purchase alcohol from online stores.

The current act regulates that alcohol can not be sold from vending machines, through mail, online stores or other channels that can’t identify the buyer’s age or identity.

Minister of Finance Chang Sheng-ford states the new bill has rigorous restrictions on retailers, deliverers and people who pick up the purchases. Retailers need to go through examination of local authorities and pay a registration fee. Trading locations are restricted to convenience stores and products cannot be home delivered. The deliverer also holds responsibility of verifying whether or not the person who picks up the purchase is over 18 years old by checking the person’s ID card. In addition, purchases can only be placed through credit cards, which teenagers tend not to own.
Penalties have also been made more severe. Chang San-cheng says violators can be fined up to NT$ 250,000 (approximately US$7,700). Registrations of retailers that break the law can be suspended and can’t be reapplied within a year. Deliverers that breach the law are also not allowed to deliver purchases for a year.     [FULL  STORY]

Taichung taxi fares to see moderate increase from May 15

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/30
By: Hao Hsueh-ching and Lilian Wu

53049287

CNA file photo

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) Taxi fares in Taichung, central Taiwan will see a slight increase starting May 15, the Taichung city government announced Saturday.

Taximeters will be replaced starting from Sept. 1, it added.

In view of the fact that the majority of people ride for only short distances, the starting fee will remain unchanged at NT$85 (US$2.63), in line with the starting price of taxis in Tainan and Kaohsiung, but will be lower than the NT$95 charged in Taoyuan.

The remainder of the journey will be charged at NT$5 per 200 meters, while waiting time will be charged at NT$5 for every two minutes.

After the new rate system is put in place, taking an average ride of five kilometers as an example, the charge will be NT$170, up 9.7 percent from the current NT$155.     [FULL  STORY]

No ‘preset stance’ on pork with ractopamine: Tsai

Taipei Times
Date: May 01, 2016
By: Staff Writer, with CNA

Taiwan has no “preset stance” on imports of US pork containing ractopamine, president-elect

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a meeting with incoming Cabinet members in Taipei on Saturday, April 30. She warned them against making gaffes that could ruin the people's trust in the government. (CNA)

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a meeting with incoming Cabinet members in Taipei on Saturday, April 30. She warned them against making gaffes that could ruin the people’s trust in the government. (CNA)

Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, according to Cabinet spokesman-designate Tung Chen-yuan (童振源).

Tsai made the remarks at the opening of a two-day “consensus-building camp” for the members of the incoming Cabinet in Taipei.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Tsai is to be sworn into office on May 20.

Her administration will achieve its goals through communication and negotiation, and during that process, it will consider the development of the domestic pig farming industry, food safety and international standards, Tsai was quoted as saying.

Taiwan will have to finish all preparations first and “whether to open to US pork imports will depend on the results of future negotiations. We do not have a preset stance right now,” Tsai said.     [FULL  STORY]

NPP Calls for Minimum Wage Rise

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/04/29
Compiled and translated by Shin-wei Chang

The New Power Party has announced a proposal to boost the monthly minimum wage from 26kNT$20,008 to $26,867 (approximately US$620 to $832). In addition, the party wants a fine up to NT$1 million (approximately US$30,000) for employers violating the regulation.

New Power Party legislator Huang Kuo-chang says the minimum wage has remained very low for the past ten years. Despite the Consumer Price Index (CPI) lifting each year, Taiwanese workers do not have enough income to afford their daily expenses.

The New Power Party and the Taiwan Labor Front held a demonstration on April 29, calling for the law to be changed. Taiwan Labor Front says, according to the International Labour Office, the minimum wage should at least meet the costs workers face in raising a family. According to its equation, the minimum wage should be the minimum cost of living multiplied by the dependency ratio – this is the rate of dependents out of 100 working-age people. To meet that standard, the current minimum wage, which is NT$120 (approximately US$3.7), would need to lift 35% to NT$163 (approximately US$5) per hour.    [FULL  STORY]

Luis Ko: The dispute about pork imports should not be a nightmare for Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-29
By: Luis Ko, Taiwan News

Everybody’s aim is to safeguard the public’s health, to take care of pig farmers, and to prevent 6751445trade disputes between Taiwan and the United States.

In fact, because Taiwan is small, its population is dense, environmental pollution problems are serious, there is no way like 10 to 20 years ago to raise 12 million pigs. A number like 6 million would be the maximum today.

Most countries are already importing pork in large quantities. What the dispute is about, is the import from the United States of pork containing residues of the leanness drug ractopamine.

The absolute priority is to preserve the income and profit margins of the Taiwanese pig farmers who raise a grand total of 6 million animals. If imports are liberalized, subsidies should be based on the average price over the past eight years, and each year there should be an average rise of 1.5 percent in order to have an effective ban on the domestic use of lean-meat drugs. The measure would protect the livelihood of the pig farmers, Taiwan’s agriculture and the environment.     [FULL  STORY]