At the Cabinet's weekly Thursday meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a briefing from the National Development Council on the current economic situation and related measures. Over the past eight years exports, investment and innovation have all seen dramatic improvement and the new administration will build upon this excellent foundation to further strengthen the nation's economy and its industries, the premier said.
The domestic economy in the first four months of this year has bounced back and exports have recovered, spurring on growth in the manufacturing sector, while domestic consumption has also risen. Furthermore, according to the latest data for April, published by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Taiwan's unemployment rate is now at a 24-year low of 3.36% for the same period. The premier said this is thanks to the collective efforts of the entire nation and pledged that the new administration will continue supporting a variety of measures to ensure price stability, expand investment in society and provide for people's well-being, so that everyone can share in the fruits of economic growth.
Premier Cho pointed out that President Lai Ching-te has announced his policy vision for the future, which includes the National Project of Hope (peaceful democracy, innovative prosperity and sustainable fairness); attaining more balanced development across Taiwan; and fostering a healthier populace. Premier Cho said this vision will serve as the guiding principles around which his administrative team's work will revolve. To bolster Taiwan's economic and industrial strength, Premier Cho directed his team to proactively channel their energies toward three directions for development as set out by President Lai: (1) having a clear view of our future, and making Taiwan technologically smarter and more sustainable; (2) setting our sights on the space industry while further developing our strengths as a maritime nation; and (3) helping enterprises expand their global presence and international markets by building from a solid base in Taiwan.