A company executive is betting big on marina development in Taiwan, as the government aims to boost the number of dedicated recreational yacht berths to 1,600 from 1,138 by 2025.
Taiwan could make its dream of having thousands of sailboats and yachts make port calls in the country a reality by speeding up the construction of new marina berths, ARGO Yacht Club (亞果遊艇會) president Ho Yu-lin (侯佑霖) said.
ARGO operates three marinas, in Kaohsiung, Penghu County and Tainan’s Anping District (安平).
Photo: CNA
The 12-hectare Tainan Anping Yacht City is a members-only yacht club providing an array of amenities including restaurants and a hotel resort operated by Singapore’s Banyan Tree Group (悅榕集團), according to the company.
The Anping club was developed after the company received rights in 2017, after which 62 berths were completed. ARGO plans to increase that number to 170 in an expansion project.
Although recreational berths can be found in fishing ports throughout Taiwan, only about 200 have electricity and water charging stations for yachts and sailboats, Ho said.
Regarding the government’s “blue ocean highway” plans, Ho said that a major obstacle is the requirement for private marina operators to fund dredging work without government subsidies or loans.
Dredging consists of maintaining proper channel depth within a marina, and is essential for vessels such as yachts, ferries and private boats to navigate through the facility. Consistent dredging is necessary for safety and to keep a marina operating at maximum capacity throughout the year.
Ho is nevertheless optimistic about the potential of the blue ocean highway plan, and said that ARGO plans to expand its foothold in Taichung and Taipei.
Taiwan has many areas with adequate infrastructure for developing piers for yachts, he said.
More yacht berths that meet international standards would diversify the tourism industry and allow Taiwan better capacity to resupply boaters sailing between Northeast and Southeast Asia, Ho said.
Taiwan is pushing to expand its recreational boating sector, with plans to add six dedicated zones for yachts and sailboats, bringing the number to 24, and create about 460 berths to bring the total to 1,600, with a target date of 2025, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.
SEMICONDUCTORS: The firm has already completed one fab, which is to begin mass producing 2-nanomater chips next year, while two others are under construction Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, plans to begin construction of its fourth and fifth wafer fabs in Kaohsiung next year, targeting the development of high-end processes. The two facilities — P4 and P5 — are part of TSMC’s production expansion program, which aims to build five fabs in Kaohsiung. TSMC facility division vice president Arthur Chuang (莊子壽) on Thursday said that the five facilities are expected to create 8,000 jobs. To respond to the fast-changing global semiconductor industry and escalating international competition, TSMC said it has to keep growing by expanding its production footprints. The P4 and P5
DOWNFALL: The Singapore-based oil magnate Lim Oon Kuin was accused of hiding US$800 million in losses and leaving 20 banks with substantial liabilities Former tycoon Lim Oon Kuin (林恩強) has been declared bankrupt in Singapore, following the collapse of his oil trading empire. The name of the founder of Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (興隆貿易) and his children Lim Huey Ching (林慧清) and Lim Chee Meng (林志朋) were listed as having been issued a bankruptcy order on Dec. 19, the government gazette showed. The younger Lims were directors at the company. Leow Quek Shiong and Seah Roh Lin of BDO Advisory Pte Ltd are the trustees, according to the gazette. At its peak, Hin Leong traded a range of oil products, made lubricants and operated loading
Citigroup Inc and Bank of America Corp said they are leaving a global climate-banking group, becoming the latest Wall Street lenders to exit the coalition in the past month. In a statement, Citigroup said while it remains committed to achieving net zero emissions, it is exiting the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). Bank of America said separately on Tuesday that it is also leaving NZBA, adding that it would continue to work with clients on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The banks’ departure from NZBA follows Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Wells Fargo & Co. The largest US financial institutions are under increasing pressure
TRENDS: The bitcoin rally sparked by US president-elect Donald Trump’s victory has slowed down, partly due to outflows from exchange-traded funds for the token Gold is heading for one of its biggest annual gains this century, with a 27 percent advance that has been fueled by US monetary easing, sustained geopolitical risks and a wave of purchases by central banks. While bullion has ticked lower since US president-elect Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in last month’s election, its gains this year still outstrip most other commodities. Base metals have had a mixed year, while iron ore has tumbled, and lithium’s woes have deepened. The varied performances highlight the absence of a single, over-riding driver that has steered the complex’s fortunes, while also putting the spotlight
RSS