Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday hosted a meeting focused on promoting economic development, with a specific emphasis on providing a stable supply of electricity and needed land for industrial construction to returning overseas Taiwanese enterprises. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) reported on the topic, with the MOEA expressing confidence in Taiwan's ability deliver stable electricity this year and next. The MOEA also indicated that there are currently 548 hectares of public industrially zoned land available, all immediately ready for development by businesses.
The MOEA indicated that large investment projects applying to connect to the grid will receive single-window service to assist with completing the necessary application procedures. At the same time, the connections themselves will be built as quickly as possible, so that such projects can begin operations and start production expeditiously.
The government's ongoing efforts to ensure steady power supplies are already yielding tangible results, said the MOEA. As facilities are completed and new generators at the Linkou, Dalin and Tongxiao power plants gradually come online, reserve margins and operating reserves are expected to hit targets of 15 and 10 percent, respectively. This additional capacity will give Taiwan the ability to generate a surplus over demand.
As for the provision of land to meet the needs of industrial development, the MOEA is taking action guided by three strategies: making state-owned land available at preferential rates, guiding the release of idle private land, and developing or upgrading industrial land. The ministry's efforts have made available 548 hectares of public industrially zoned land ready for development by businesses. The MOEA is also continuing talks with the Taiwan Sugar Corp. concerning leasing rather than selling land to provide manufacturers with another option for expanding facilities.
MOST, meanwhile, has been pursuing complementary measures, such as creating new industrial zones, increasing land-use efficiencies at existing sites, and revitalizing old factories and facilities for reoccupation. Such initiative demonstrates to all Taiwan's commitment to meeting the demand for industrial land.