Central bank leaves interest rates unchanged for second quarter

Central bank leaves interest rates unchanged for second quarter

2023-09-21

The central bank has left its key interest rates unchanged for the second consecutive quarter. The discount rate will remain at 1.875%. Also on Thursday, the central bank decided against tightening selective credit controls to curb the property market. Bank officials said that after five rounds of measures, the housing market was already starting to stabilize.

Yang Chin-long
Central bank governor
Keeping rates unchanged at this time is very much in line with market expectations. We’ve also seen our selective credit controls produce some results. The annual growth rates of construction loans and mortgages have gone down since we began selective credit control measures.

The central bank won’t adopt new controls, but the Executive Yuan’s new house hoarding tax will come into effect as early as July. According to the new measures, taxes on multiple homes will rise to a range of 2% to 4.8%, up from 1.5% to 3.6%. More than 4 million households will see an impact on their tax returns.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

央行利率連二凍! 全年GDP下修至1.46% 停止加碼打房

2023-09-21

央銀週四召開第3季理監事會議，宣布政策利率連兩凍，維持重貼現率在1.875%，不過經濟成長率下修到1.46%。此外，經過連續五波的打房措施，房價漲勢趨緩下來，因此這次也確定不再加碼打房。

[[央行總裁楊金龍]]
“這次維持利率不變，這個是非常符合我們市場的預期。我們看到，我們的選擇性信用管制也有一些的成效，我們的建築貸款跟購置貸款餘額的年增率，從我們開始實施選擇性信用管制之後一直下來。”

儘管央行不加碼打房，但行政院會一早通過"囤房稅2.0"房屋條例，非自住住家房屋改採全國歸戶，稅率從現行1.5%至3.6%，調升到2%至4.8%，最快明年7月上路，合計有超過400多萬戶受到影響。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Related News

Lai plans expanded long-term care subsidies, national cancer fund

DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te has unveiled an ambitious vision for health care. Speaking at his third policy presentation, Lai introduced what he called Long-Term Care 3.0, which doubles the subsidy for patients in residential services. Lai also plans to set up a cancer drug fund, which aims to lower the mortality rate by a third by the year 2030. Let’s hear from him.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
Harnessing my medical expertise, I hope to partner with the medical community and to integrate society’s resources to build a healthy Taiwan.

DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te has unveiled his plan for health care. One policy is a national program for preventing and treating cancer.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
We will set up a cancer drug fund, a NT$10 billion cancer drug fund. By the year 2030, we want to reduce cancer’s mortality rate by a third. We will give nurses the legislation they’ve requested regarding nurse-to-patient ratios. These are the goals we are committed to.

Lai said he would improve the working conditions of nurses, starting with staff in critical care. This would be done in the first two years of his term, he said. Lai also outlined a plan to upgrade Long-Term Care 2.0. Version 3.0 will offer more support to incapacitated patients, plus enhanced residential services and subsidies. It will also cover more older adults.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
Of course, we will also encourage or provide incentives for long-term care service providers to set up locations in remote areas. In addition, our annual subsidy will go up from NT$60,000 to NT$120,000. In the future, it could gradually rise to NT$180,000, which is a monthly subsidy of NT$15,000.

Lai pledged to create a support system spanning patient homes, society, institutions, medical facilities, and social welfare networks. Also on Thursday, Lai’s rival Ko Wen-je held his own press event on social welfare programs. Ko took issue with Long-Term Care 2.0, saying that its budget was insufficient.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
Whether it was President Tsai or President Ma who put in more effort and did more for long-term care – the answer is obvious. If there’s anybody out there who wants to criticize the current long-term care program, fire away. I am ready to do the work. I will roll up my sleeves to deliver Long-Term Care 3.0.

A confident Lai said he was ready to take action. The doctor-turned-politician vowed to safeguard Taiwan’s health, to use his expertise and achievements to earn public support.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-09-21

Ministry of Agriculture sorry for egg labeling snafu

2023-09-21

Taoyuan forges sister-city ties with Philippines’ Angeles City

Taoyuan has a new sister city: the City of Angeles in the Philippines. The two cities’ mayors held a virtual signing ceremony on Wednesday. Angeles City is the 35th in the world to enter such a partnership with Taoyuan. The two sides plan to work together in areas including airport cities, logistics, technology, trade, culture, and tourism, opening a new chapter in city-to-city exchanges.

Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng strikes a pose with the mayor of Angeles City, who appears onscreen. The two mayors signed a sister-city agreement on Wednesday, preparing gifts to mark the friendship.

Mayor Chang prepared an acrylic painting by Mario Subeldia, a Filipino artist in Taiwan. The work depicts Taoyuan International Airport and Clark International Airport in Angeles City. An airplane in the top right symbolizes the direct flights linking the two cities and their steadfast friendship.

Meanwhile, Angeles City’s mayor presented the “keys to the city”: a wooden sculpture made by a local artist and micro-enterprise supported by his city’s government. Angeles City has a rich cultural heritage, vibrant food scene, and electrifying entertainment options. It’s a place where history, culture and tech come together.

Angeles is Taoyuan’s 35th sister city. As both cities have international airports, they hope to collaborate on developing aerospace technology in the Asia-Pacific region, to create a trans-Pacific aviation technology smart city.

Vicenta Vega-Cabigting
Angeles vice mayor
Thank you Mayor Chang San-cheng, for recognizing our presence today, albeit remote. Let us make this partnership a catalyst for development in our cities. Thank you! Mabuhay! Xie xie!

Chang San-cheng
Taoyuan mayor
The two cities have very complementary aspects in industry, culture and nature. We hope the sister-city agreement will allow us to draw from each other’s strengths in these complementary areas.

The mayors expressed hope for an enduring friendship between the new sister cities, one with more frequent exchanges and even stronger ties.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-09-21

Coast Guard takes delivery of 1,000-ton cutter Lienchiang

2023-09-21

Controversy as Taipei plans Nuit Blanche that’s bigger and bolder than ever before

The annual nighttime festival of art, Nuit Blanche, is just a couple of weeks away. This year, Taipei is planning a night that’s bigger and bolder than ever before. There’ll even be a performance art livestream from the Taipei Mayor’s office. There’s controversy over plans to hold avant-garde musical and theatrical events in Taipei City Hall and Council. And some are concerned that the growth of the event, spreading into Xinyi Commercial District, could cause noise disturbance for residents trying to sleep. But officials are determined they can pull it off.

It’s that time of year again. Nuit Blanche Taipei 2023 will launch at sunset on Oct. 7. This year the nocturnal celebration of art is coming to Xinyi Commercial District for the first time.

On the night, the debate chamber of Taipei City Council will transform Into a live theater, open to the public. The office of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an蔣萬安 will be occupied by Mayor Mao貓 and used for a livestream. Meanwhile the city hall debate chamber will become a live music venue with a dance floor.

Lin Yi-hua
Deputy mayor of Taipei
The event is from Saturday evening to Sunday morning. So I think it will not impact the operation of public duties, so to speak. Especially because the location to be used is on the first floor, at the edge of the city hall, so if any of our staff need to work overtime, I think they won’t be too much affected if they’re upstairs.

The three main locations for nighttime revelry are Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei City Hall and Taipei City Council. But there are also connected events at nearby Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei 101 and the whole of Xinyi Commercial District. The night’s installation art and performances attracted more than 460,000 visitors last year. This year, with events in Xinyi, even greater crowds are expected.

Hung Chien-yi
DPP Taipei councilor
These residential households are, in principle, generally quiet, apart from every year at New Year’s Eve. They’re not generally welcoming of other events which would disturb their daily life. Chiang Wan-an, it’s great that you want to hold this event, and we respect that. But if you create disturbance for the public, in the end Taipei City government will have to take the blame. I hope you will plan it carefully.

Lin Yi-hua
Taipei deputy mayor
Actually the events are mainly clustered in the commercial district. We’re loathe to cause people any disturbance, so at the cinema on Ren’ai仁愛 Road, we’ll invite people to listen to music on headphones.

Taipei City is hoping it can pull out all its organizing expertise, and create a night that’s bright as day for those who want it, but quiet and restful for everyone else.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat 1 am on Channel 53

2023-09-21

2 hikers dead and 9 injured after getting stung by hornets in New Taipei trail

Two hikers died and another nine were injured after getting stung by hornets at a mountain trail in New Taipei’s Ruifang District. Experts say it’s likely that the group was stung by the Asian hornet, whose venom can trigger severe allergic reactions. The hornet nest has yet to be found. For now, the New Taipei government has closed off all access routes to the hiking path.

Twenty hikers were on a trip in New Taipei’s Ruifang District when they were attacked by a swarm of hornets.

After examining the wounds, a hornet expert determined the group had fallen victim to the Asian hornet. The encounter left seven hikers with mild injuries, two with severe injuries, and two others dead.

Witness
A hornet stung one of the hikers, who then tried to ward them off using a hand fan. Then the hornets began targeting the hiker, more and more started showing up. We ran off. The people in front rushed away, but several people in the back got strung. They ended up lying on the ground, maybe because of the stings or because they tripped. Later over the phone they said more than 100 hornets had attacked four people. It was terrifying.

Witness
Someone got stung. They said it hurt, and they weren’t sure what it was, so they tried to wave it off.

A sting from an Asian hornet can cause severe injury and death in humans. A protein in the hornet’s venom combines with a protein in the human body, potentially triggering a strong allergic reaction. In severe cases, the reaction doesn’t stop at the skin. The venom can cause swelling inside the body, making it difficult to breathe and inducing kidney and liver inflammation. It can even result in immediate death.

Yang Shu-fang
New Taipei animal protection office
The Ruifang District office has closed off all six access routes to the trail. Hornets do tend to be more aggressive in autumn. We have urged the general public to not go to hard-to-reach areas in the outskirts and to not enter grassy or forested areas, as that’s where hornets tend to gather in the fall season.

The New Taipei government has shut the six entrances to the Bafenliao Hiking Trail. It says that autumn is hornet breeding season, and as such the insects may be more aggressive. To reduce chances of attack, hikers are advised to not wear bright colors or perfume. If a hornet approaches, trying to swat it away could result in a painful attack.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-09-21

Councilors urge Taipei to ramp up disaster prevention

Today is National Disaster Prevention Day, marking 24 years since the deadly Chichi earthquake in Nantou. Earthquake drills were held at schools nationwide, as disaster drill alerts went out to mobile phones. At Taipei City Hall, pan-green councilors urged the government to repair the city’s old underground pipes, which could lead to sinkholes, building collapses, and other man-made disasters.

Alarms go off in the middle of class and students rush under their desks. It’s time to drop, cover and hold on.

Student
This will help us react more quickly when an earthquake does strike. We can respond more quickly and lower the chance of running into danger.

Tang Chih-min
Taipei Department of Education
We hope the disaster prevention drill will make campuses safer and raise awareness among students and city residents about how to respond to a disaster.

Sept. 21 is National Disaster Prevention Day. Earthquake drills were held at schools across Taipei. Taipei City Council held discussions on disaster prevention.

Lin Yen-feng
Taipei councilor (DPP)
I’m not only talking about the incident with Kee Tai Properties, which was a man-made disaster. The city’s pipelines are aging, they are old – this has led to the formation of numerous sinkholes. Addressing this issue is one component of disaster prevention. Government agencies should establish routine maintenance and repair mechanisms.

Yen Jo-fang
Taipei councilor (DPP)
Over the past few months, a lot of sinkholes have appeared around Taipei. Taipei is located in a basin, and nobody knows what’s happening with all the pipes underground. With all the earthquakes shaking the pipes, some of them may be stressed to their breaking point. If they reach a point where they can no longer withstand the pressure, it could cause problems. Small earthquakes that wouldn’t usually bring about any major issues could result in leaks that erode foundations and cause buildings to tilt and collapse, or sinkholes to appear.

Councilors discussed recent disasters, including the sinking of several Dazhi apartment buildings and the repeated occurrence of sinkholes. They urged the city government to take preventative action ahead of potential disasters.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-09-21

Saxony launches office in Taiwan to foster science and tech ties

The German state of Saxony has opened an office in Taiwan, to pave the way for TSMC’s semiconductor project in its capital. The Saxon Science Liaison Office Taiwan will help recruit talented Taiwanese youth and foster further scientific and technology collaboration. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

Located inside the German Trade Office, the Saxon Science Liaison Office Taiwan has officially opened. The office will facilitate science and technology exchanges between Taiwan and Saxony, which is Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing hub. Dr. Josef Goldberger will serve as the office’s liaison officer. The office will be a service center for exchange students from Taiwan and Saxony. It will also be the hub of a new TSMC training program.

Sebastian Gemkow
Saxony’s state minister for science, culture and tourism
This is very important for us because this will also be a point of exchange between students from Taiwan and Saxony. But it will also be a very important hub for the admisnitation of programs of which we will speak about later on at TSMC. It is a very important spot here.

Dr. Josef Goldberger
Liaison officer
I was working for the German Academic Exchange Service for the last six years. We will have real cooperation with different partners not only industry partners. I will be able to represent of course Dresden University of Technlogy and all the other research institutions and education institutions in the free state of Saxony. I think this is a very exciting task.

TSMC plans to set up a factory in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Responding to a reported “culture clash” at TSMC’s fab in Arizona, Saxony’s science minister Sebastian Gemkow said that it doesn’t shake his confidence in working with TSMC. He said that Germans and Taiwanese share a similar work ethic.

Sebastian Gemkow
Saxony’s state minister for science, culture and tourism
I don’t have any doubts that being together with people from Taiwan. I think that the working ethic is very similar. People are disciplined like in Germany as well. This working culture is very similar. And of course, we will also prepare everything to make it most convenient for people coming to Saxony to Dresdin that they find some kind of community and some kind of ecosystem which makes them feel comfortable so I don’t have any doubts.

Dr. Ursula Staudinger
TU Dresden president
TU Dresden has a private economy arm which is TUDAG, and they are developing a special cultural special on-boarding program for the TSMC professionals to come and do the startup for the company. So we are very optimistic that this will work quite well.

TU Dresden, or the Dresden University of Technology, is one of the largest universities of technology in Germany. It will manage operations at the liaison office on behalf of all Saxon higher education institutes. It is estimated that 50 students from Germany will be sent to Taiwan universities every year to study and intern at TSMC.

Dr. Ursula Staudinger
TU Dresden president
This is a historical moment. We are opening our first science liaison office abroad here in Taipei. TUD is doing this as the coordinating university for all the Saxon universities. We will be signing the trilateral agreement between TSMC, the free state of Saxony, and TUD. It is really about, on the one hand, getting more and more engineering and natural sciences students interested in the sphere of semiconductors. And what we were discussing was getting into research cooperation.

Jorg Polster
German representative to Taiwan
Taiwanese company TSMC decided to go to Germany with a great investment, a comprehensive investment in the city of Dresden. What we will see now, that it is not just the industrial cooperation that will intensify between Germany and Taiwan, but this will be matched by the intensification to academic cooperation. This goes hand in hand. For that reason, I think it is a wonderful location to have this office here with the chamber. The office which is related very closely to the numerous German companies in Taiwan. Many of them are also active in the sector of semiconductors.

With the launch of the office ahead of TSMC’s Dresden project, the two countries hope to further strengthen education, science, and technology collaboration between Taiwan and Germany.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-09-21