President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文)
Taipei, June 28 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed confidence in Taiwan's economic recovery Thursday, saying that improving people's livelihoods is her administration's most important goal.
Speaking at an event organized by the National Association of Small & Medium Enterprises in Taipei, Tsai said several economic indicators, including the stock market and employment indexes, signal a recovery.
Taiwan's economy has had a positive growth rate for eight consecutive quarters, an achievement that came during the first two years of her presidency, according to Tsai.
"The economy is definitely getting better," she said, stressing that the government will continue to push for Taiwan's industrial transformation.
Lin Hui-ying (林慧瑛), president of the association, said she hopes the government can speed up the country's bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which could have a positive impact on the domestic economy.
Meanwhile, Lin also raised the problem of a brain drain in Taiwan, in particular with the rise of the Southeast Asian economies, which continue to attract talent from Taiwan to study, live and start businesses in those countries.
This has a huge impact on Taiwan's competitiveness, she said.
Meanwhile, President Tsai said the government will continue to support the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, through which the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) provides subsidies to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that come up with innovative business projects.
Tsai also outlined her administration's "5 plus 2" industrial innovation development program, which aims to boost Taiwan's competitiveness in global markets.
Industrial transformation will lead Taiwan's economic development into the future, she said.
Speaking about the newly-adopted pension system for military veterans and the government's push for renewable energy developments, Tsai said those are reforms the previous government could have carried out.
Ten years from now, people will not regret the reforms the government has introduced, Tsai said, adding that the changes are for the good of Taiwan.
(By Liao Yu-yang and Ko Lin)
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