Premier Lai Ching-te met with government agencies on Tuesday to discuss the shortage of available land as part of a series of interministerial meetings to boost investment in Taiwan. He directed the agencies to expedite the release of industrial-use land and to provide a mechanism matching companies with land for building construction. These actions will keep Taiwan moving forward in global competitiveness.
In the effort to provide suitable land for industries and solve the land shortage problem, the Executive Yuan called a news conference last November 6 during which it unveiled three key strategies: make state-owned land available at preferential rates, open up idle private land, and develop or upgrade industrial-use land.
More than a half year later, these strategies along with 12 supporting measures have already yielded preliminary results, the premier said. Seventy-eight hectares of state-owned land have been released at preferential rates, with cases being reviewed on a rolling basis. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), meanwhile, has upped its estimate of the total amount of industrial land to be released by 2022 from 1,442 hectares to 1,470 hectares, providing an added bonus for businesses looking to invest.
A one-stop window has also been set up by the MOEA to provide companies with land-matching services, Premier Lai continued. He asked the ministry to strengthen the matching mechanism, continue finding suitable land for companies, and provide other complementary services.
Agencies also received instructions to step up other programs and initiatives, including compulsory auction of idle land in industrial zones, bonus floor space incentives to encourage vertical development, and Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program subsidies to help local governments develop industrial parks and improve public facilities there. Authorities can also build industry confidence in the government by proactively solving problems for companies and frequently publicizing land-matching successes.
The nation's science parks, meanwhile, are important bases for solidifying Taiwan's industrial advantages and developing future innovative technologies, the premier said. He asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to assess overall land needs in line with the strategic position and industrial trends of each park. Aside from implementing refined measures for land use and carefully planning development projects, the ministry should reserve space in the parks for future expansion and industrial growth.