TAINAN (TVBS News) — Economic Minister J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) on Thursday (Jan. 2) urged a forward-looking approach to addressing rapid changes in the times, highlighting the importance of adapting reforms to different situations. Kuo joined the Economics Committee's (立法院經濟委員會) inspection of economic developments in Tainan and participated in a forum organized by the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce (台南市商業總會). He reiterated President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) directive to prioritize addressing Tainan's challenges.
Kuo highlighted Taiwan's declining birth rate, noting only 135,000 births in 2024, and stressed the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部) commitment to integrating diverse opinions to tackle this issue effectively. Democratic Progressive Party (DDP, 民進黨) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) underscored the foundational role of commerce amidst changing times. She warned that losing commercial functionality would hinder market operations.
Chen also pointed out that last December, the Executive Yuan (行政院) announced an NT$11.6 billion investment this year to implement diverse development plans for small and medium-sized enterprises. This initiative includes four tax incentives, such as R&D investment deductions, effective until the end of 2033.
