Providing potential investors with a single window to central and local government services raises efficiency and helps drive the economy upward, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today following the Ministry of Economic Affairs' (MOEA) report on strengthening one-stop services.
Having spoken with many business groups in past months, however, Jiang said one comment he hears frequently is that services provided by these windows are less than ideal. Improving administrative efficiency and offering better services should not be the work of only the MOEA but of all ministries and local authorities. The premier said the InvesTaiwan Service Center under the Executive Yuan should—in addition to strengthening its own project coordination, consultation and referral services—set up detailed, standardized operating procedures that central and local governments can follow to improve their single-window services as well.
As for free economic pilot zones, a policy high on the government's agenda, Jiang asked the MOEA, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Council of Agriculture to promote one-stop windows and improve training and service quality. In particular, the MOTC should plan one-stop windows for the free trade ports like those established in science parks, export processing zones and the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park. The MOTC should utilize and consolidate existing resources, and amend regulations if needed.
All central and local governments now offer one-stop services, the premier continued, but investors say there is room for improvement, especially in the area of communication and cooperation between the two levels of government. For instance, businesses must apply for licenses from local authorities to enter the free trade ports or industrial parks. If central and local government communication can be further strengthened, it would save investors much time and trouble.
In response to these needs, the MOEA hopes to build cooperative mechanisms between the central and local-level governments. Examples include joint recruitment of investors, tracking progress of investment projects together, organizing meetings to coordinate projects on a case-by-case basis, removing investment barriers and streamlining application procedures. Regular forums can also be held to allow businesses to exchange views with heads of governments and with each other.
Premier Jiang said that local governments should also establish one-stop service windows in accordance with their current industrial development as well as investment solicitation goals. He asked the MOEA to organize conferences for local authorities to share experiences and learn from successful cases from around the world.
Local governments' performance in single-window services will be included in their annual evaluations, the premier said. He instructed the MOEA to revise related incentive plans while incorporating suggestions from industrial, academic and government sectors. Since raising incentive amounts will affect the central government budget, Jiang asked the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics and the MOEA to re-examine budget allocation. If necessary, Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo will help coordinate these efforts.