While receiving the recipients of the Golden Merchant Awards for enterprises and organizations from home and abroad today, Premier Jiang Yi-huah stated that he would ask ministry officials to make frequent trips to the workplaces of various industries and hear companies' views and incorporate them into the government's administrative measures.
"We cannot merely pay lip service to revitalizing the economy. More importantly, we must see it through with action. The government will work to improve the business environment," he said.
In its 2014 Doing Business report released on October 29, the World Bank placed Taiwan 16th in "ease of doing business," the same rank as the year before.
Although Taiwan has not backslid (and in fact has improved its business environment significantly since 2008, when it was in 61st place), citizens expect greater progress to be made, the premier said. Moreover, in light of other countries' improved governmental efficiency and deregulation, if progress is not made, the nation's standing will regress, he warned.
Jiang aspires to propel the ROC into the top 10 by 2016 and has directed the Council for Economic Planning and Development to report related analysis at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.
The premier reiterated that he would demand relevant ministries to pull out all the stops and to make frequent visits to companies to hear their problems and recommendations. The government should then quickly seek out the necessary means to implement the latter, he said.
Meanwhile, Jiang will also continue meeting with industrial and commercial groups to hear their proposals so that both the private and government sectors can work hand-in-hand.
Commenting on corporate management, the premier said that "outstanding enterprises are not merely successful; they also shoulder responsibilities for society and employees. The recent adulterated oil incident has really touched a nerve for me. A good enterprise does not just care whether its revenue has increased; it is conscientious and responsible. It does not sell illicit products; rather, it pays back to society and looks after its employees as if they are family members.
"Over the past one or two years, Taiwanese people have felt suffocated because the fruits of economic development have not been effectively shared among all people. Taiwan will become happier if enterprises care more about their employees," he stated.
The premier also spoke about his interactions with the organizations that won Golden Merchant Awards, which include prizes in categories such as Outstanding Entrepreneur, Outstanding Taiwan Traditional Shop, Outstanding Foreign Commerce Agencies and Outstanding Foreign Firms.
He said he was very impressed with the Ever Rich Duty Free Shop—the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award recipient this year—when he visited its Penghu branch last year and witnessed the company's recruitment and training of local residents.
Kinmen's Maestro Wu Artillery Shell Knives—recipient of the Outstanding Taiwan Traditional Shop Award—has been in business for over three generations, and its brand name is well-established both at home and abroad, said Jiang, who visited the company last week on October 27. "In the beginning, Maestro Wu simply made knives out of artillery shells, but recently innovative designs have been incorporated into the product. Its artisans have never ceased to refine their skills," he added.
The New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei is the recipient of the Outstanding Foreign Commerce Agencies and Outstanding Foreign Firm awards this year. The Legislature yesterday ratified the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu on Economic Cooperation, which is especially significant because it is the first economic cooperation pact the ROC has signed with a developed country which is not a diplomatic partner, Jiang pointed out.
"Taiwan's and New Zealand's industries are complementary," he said. "Based on the spirit of reciprocity, Taiwan's semiconductors and electronics can now enter New Zealand more freely, while New Zealand's quality agricultural products can be easily imported to Taiwan.
"This pact not only benefits the peoples of the two countries and ushers in bilateral trade exchanges but also represents our determination to integrate with regional and global economic bodies, laying the foundation for our joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership," he continued. "I expect more economic agreements will be signed with other nations in the near future."