Forward-looking‧Professional‧International 
February 2012  
Trade contraction in January momentarily constraints Taiwan’s growth
TIER business outlook brings forth a slim hope
Taiwan’s exports shrank in January 2012, whereas exports of mining products, IT and communication goods, and electronics products decreased rather significantly. Besides that, Taiwan’s business activities cooled down on the back of Lunar New Year seasonal distortions in January, a month that saw Taiwan production stall for nine days of national holidays. Accordingly, all economic indicators were affected by such twists. However, the lately improved global conditions as well as TIER business outlook provide a slim hope.
The current world economic conditions could be bad but maybe not that bad. A tiring negotiation among Euro zone finance ministers eventually came to a conclusion on February 21 by agreeing to provide Greece the second bailout. At least the crisis is temporarily contained and market confidence is momentarily rebuilt, albeit there are still serious doubts regarding whether Greece will be able to recover with further austerity measures coming with the bailout.
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The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) aims to lower the unemployment rate to below 4%
The CLA Minister Jennifer Wang announced to push the unemployment rate down to below 4% and to raise the minimum hourly wage by the end of this year. “Current economic conditions and labor market are slightly better than what we expected due to the increasing orders from overseas after Japan's 311 earthquake and tsunami, the massive flooding in Thailand, and persistent wage hikes in China”.

More Chinese tourists granted to visit in Taiwan
Taiwan will grant more Chinese tourists from eight more cities in China travelling to Taiwan, but the daily quota will be unlikely increased at this time, the Tourism Bureau said on 10th of February. The Tourism Bureau Deputy Director-General David Hsieh said that those with more economically developed and industry established are more likely to be picked in the pocket list.

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has eased the restriction on the face value of foreign company stock in order to encourage foreign companies to apply for their first listing in Taiwan
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has amended the regulations to allow Chinese tourists travelling to Taiwan for health examinations and medical cosmetology treatments
Taiwan Economic Research Monthly
Taiwan's new science and technology innovations
Taiwan's science, technology and innovation policy instruments
Taiwan performance management improvement in technology industy: Lessons from overseas
Evaluation of the performance budgeting system in the U.S.A.
A lesson from Japan's technology policy promotion and evaulation machanism
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