At Thursday's Cabinet meeting, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a National Development Council briefing on the progress and highlights of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program. Thanks to investment in future-oriented infrastructure, the premier said, Taiwan has soared in world infrastructure rankings. This clearly demonstrates the program's effectiveness, raising Taiwan's visibility on the global stage and laying a foundation for a brighter and more compassionate future for our children.
The premier said that in the past the competitiveness of Taiwan's infrastructure had significant room for improvement, when compared to Singapore, Hong Kong or South Korea, and the development of urban versus rural infrastructure was also skewed. With this in mind, President Tsai Ing-wen upon taking office proposed the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program. The program strengthens key infrastructure, advances balanced regional development, improves people's quality of life, builds momentum for economic growth and lays the groundwork for the next generation to enjoy long-term national peace and stability.
Premier Chen added that Taiwan's infrastructure is well regarded internationally. For example, in the 2023 World Competitiveness Yearbook published by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development, Taiwan placed sixth overall out of 64 surveyed countries—a leap of 11 places since 2018. Within the infrastructure category, Taiwan took 12th place in this year's rankings, rising from 22nd place in 2018.