The government is leaving no stone unturned in negotiations with the Vietnamese authorities to protect the rights and interests of Taiwanese businesses there, Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo, the convener of the Executive Yuan's Vietnam riot response task force, said today at the task force's eighth meeting.
In addition, government agencies will continue to assist Taiwanese businesses to pay their employees and claim insurance compensation and will also help them with short-term financing, Mao added.
The vice premier made these remarks after listening to a cross-ministry report. After the meeting, he demanded related agencies to implement programs that provide overseas credit loans and subsidies on loan interest in order to help the Taiwanese companies to rebuild their businesses.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council said that it will continue to subsidize an interest rate of 2 percent and waive credit guarantee fees for affected Taiwanese companies through its "Vietnam 513" loan program. In addition, the loan ceiling of US$100,000 can be raised for individual cases. The council will deliberate additional facilitation of eased lending in the future.
The Financial Supervisory Commission added that through its Banking Bureau's coordination, Taiwanese banks that operate branches in Vietnam have all agreed to support government policies by lowering loan interest rates for all affected Taiwanese enterprises and offering preferential rates, extending old loans or approving new lending to certain businesses depending on their particular circumstances.
The riots occurred in May 2014 after mainland China placed an oil rig in waters that are separately claimed by Vietnam, mainland China and the ROC. Although the rioters were putatively retaliating against mainland China, hundreds of Taiwanese businesses suffered damages as well.