increased costs 結果共15筆

Explore Taiwan’s new approach to supporting families: Premier Chen Chien-jen announces plans for more flexible unpaid parental leave, expanded childcare services, and increased subsidies to ease the childcare burden. With a focus on diverse family roles and improved work-life balance, these measures aim to reduce childcare costs and encourage shared parental responsibilities.

Following a recent earthquake in Hualien, transportation costs for fruits and vegetables have surged, as reported by Chang Te-chi, secretary-general of the Ji-an Township Farmers’ Association. The damage has forced trucks to take a longer route, doubling travel time and causing frost damage to produce. Despite stable prices due to government efforts, concerns grow over rising expenses if the Suhua Highway remains closed. The Agriculture Development Department of Hualien County and the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation highlight the financial strain on farmers and the logistics challenges faced, including increased labor costs and the impracticality of using refrigerated trucks on alternative transport modes.

the year-over-year (YoY) rate in the rent index has been around 2% for the past two years, a relatively high level. The YoY growth rate in March was 2.24%, the highest increase in the past year. Over the past decade, the average annual increase in the rent index was 1.1%. However, since July 2022, the growth has exceeded 2% and has remained at this level. DGBAS officials pointed out three main factors that contributed to the rise in rent. First, the cost of maintaining houses has increased. In recent years, the increase in residential maintenance costs has been significant, with a sharp rise of 5.8% in 2022 and increases of over 3% in 2023 and 2024. 

Vice President Lai Ching-te unveils plans to expand ＂National child care policy for ages 0-6＂ to ease family burdens. Increased subsidies for childcare costs and focus on early childhood education highlighted to address declining birth rates and support families with children.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an urges central government to empathize with public and small businesses amid electricity price hike concerns. Young homeowners worried about impact on quality of life. City government working to mitigate effects through increased revenue and reduced expenditure.

Taipower proposes moderate adjustments to residential electricity prices for the first time in 20 years due to discrepancies between current prices and actual costs. The Electricity Price Review Committee is set to convene in late March to determine new rates effective from April, with expectations of increases across both industry and residential sectors.

HeySong Corporation, a Taiwanese company, has announced price adjustments for some of its products after 10-20 years of unchanged prices. The adjustments, set to take effect in March, will see prices increase by 10-20%. The most notable increase will be for the popular 330-milliliter HeySong Sarsaparilla, which will surge by up to 25%. The company attributes the price adjustments to rising costs of raw materials, packaging, transportation, and personnel. The recommended retail price adjustments will mainly affect packages less than one liter, with some increasing by NT$4 and others by NT$5-6. Other beverage brands, such as Taisun Enterprise, have also indicated rising drink prices due to increased international raw material costs. The King Car Group had already adjusted the price of its Pocari Sweat drink in November 2020, marking the first price adjustment in 17 years. Public opinion on the price changes seems to be accepting, with many stating that they understand most products are experiencing price increases as long as the surge isn’t too high.

Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) has achieved a satisfaction rate of 91.2% in 2023, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). This is the first time the satisfaction rate has not decreased despite an increase in insurance costs. Previous reductions in satisfaction were observed in 2002 and 2006 due to premium increases, and in 2013 following the implementation of the second-generation NHI. The highest-rated aspects of the NHI were accessibility to medical treatment and the quality of medical care, with increased insurance costs ranking third. The satisfaction rate reached its peak during times of pandemic, likely due to the introduction of home-based medical care services and improved medical accessibility. Since 2021, the satisfaction rate has consistently remained above 90% and even reached a new all-time high during the pandemic. Taiwan has been ranked number one in the global healthcare index published by NUMBEO for the past five years. The NHI budget has also seen significant growth, increasing by over 48% from NT$590.5 billion in 2015 to NT$875.5 billion in 2024. The survey involved 3,257 participants aged 18 in Taiwan, and while public satisfaction with the NHI is high, physicians generally express lower levels of satisfaction.

50 Lan, a renowned tea beverage chain in Taipei, is set to raise its prices in 2024 due to increased operational and sales costs. Influenced by ingredient costs and labor shortages, the hike marks a potential trend in Taiwan’s popular hand-shake beverage market.

Taiwan’s Social Protection Expenditure (SPE) for 2022 has reached a new high of NT$2.5342 trillion, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). This represents a 4.9% growth rate and an increase of NT$118.1 billion compared to the previous year. The DGBAS attributes the significant growth to factors such as increased costs related to COVID-19 vaccine procurement and vaccination efforts, higher National Health Insurance payments, and increased funding for childcare allowances and educational subsidies. Social security spending in Taiwan aims to mitigate risks or burdens associated with aging, disabilities, survivors, sickness and healthcare, childbirth, family and children, unemployment, occupational injuries, and housing, following the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

New data from Statistics Korea reveals a decline in young married couples in South Korea, with approximately 1.032 million couples within the first five years of marriage as of November 1, 2022. Since 2015, there has been an annual average decrease of 50,000 to 80,000 newlywed couples, projected to fall below 1 million by the end of this year. Around 79% of these newlyweds are marrying for the first time, while over 20% are embarking on a second marriage. Notably, 46.4% of first-time married couples have chosen not to start a family yet, marking the highest recorded rate of childless couples. Economic and housing conditions play a role in these trends, as the average annual income of newlyweds has increased by 6.1% from the previous year, and dual-income households have claimed a larger share, reaching 57.2%. However, despite earning 1.7 times more than single-earner families, dual-income couples have a lower rate of having children. The unique Korean rental system, Jeonse, involving significant security deposit payments, and rising rental costs may further impact young couples’ decision to start a family, adding complexity to South Korean family dynamics.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) predicts a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) orders in the coming year, with October’s revenue reaching NT$243.203 billion ($8.6 billion), a 34.8 percent monthly increase and a 15.7 percent annual increase. TSMC’s stock price has also been on a steady rise, accumulating a growth of 7.5 percent since November. Morgan Stanley semiconductor research analyst Charlie Chan attributes TSMC’s revenue growth to signs of recovery and the robust demand for AI semiconductors worldwide. NVIDIA’s expanded order to TSMC, along with increased demand from clients like Apple and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), has led TSMC to accelerate the enhancement of its advanced packaging technology, Chip on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS). CoWoS enables TSMC to effectively reduce costs and trim electric consumption by packaging chiplets on a silicon interposer and placing them on a package substrate. However, TSMC’s current CoWoS capacity remains a bottleneck for NVIDIA’s AI GPU chips, though the company forecasts a rebound in productivity by the end of 2024 to meet customer demand.

The Thai government has launched a 30-day visa-free policy for Taiwanese tourists, aiming to increase the number of visitors by 20%. Around 600,000 Taiwanese tourists visited Thailand this year, and Thai officials hope to raise this number to at least 725,000 by the end of 2023. Since the announcement of the new policy, queries about Thailand on travel websites have increased by 30%. Travelers are also pleased with the elimination of visa costs, which can range from NT $1,200 to over $10,000. To further attract tourists, travel agencies and airlines are offering discounted round-trip tickets to Bangkok from Taipei, with prices as low as NT $5,000. Thailand is already among the top overseas travel destinations for Taiwanese, along with Japan, mainland China, South Korea, and Vietnam.

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has announced an 8.6 percent rebound in output, driven by developments in solar and wind power. Taiwan’s renewable energy market is expected to reach NT$200 billion in 2024. This was revealed during an ITRI industry forum that focused on cross-discipline cooperation in carbon solution exchange. Jay Wang, Vice Director of ITRI Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center, highlighted the challenges faced by the global economy due to high inflation and interest rates, which have increased investment costs for renewable energy development. Wang emphasized the importance of renewable energy in achieving a net-zero economy by 2050, but noted that oversupply has resulted in lower prices and the need for different approaches. Despite these challenges, Taiwan has excelled in the development and innovation of renewable energy, particularly offshore wind power, with an accumulated capacity of 2GW to date.

Taiwan’s rental housing market faces challenges due to global inflation, stagnant wages, and higher living costs. Renters grapple with increased monthly payments amid limited wage growth. Find out how these factors impact the rental market.