The Executive Yuan has proposed to increase next year’s budget for the “five trusted industry sectors” by 40.6 percent compared with this year, with NT$12.2 billion (US$379.9 million) appropriated for the semiconductor industry.
A total of NT$21 billion is to be allocated to the “five trusted industry sectors” — semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), military defense, security and surveillance, and next-generation communications — for next year, in addition to the NT$1.2 billion dedicated to the fifth phase of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, totaling NT$22.2 billion, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said in a report.
The total budget increased by NT$6.4 billion, or about 40.6 percent, from this year, it said.
Photo: Bloomberg
The budget is crucial to plan the next stage of the nation’s industrial development and on Friday it was sent to legislative committees for review, it said.
The semiconductor sector is to receive NT$12.2 billion, up from NT$10.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 21.2 percent.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) would receive NT$7.05 billion, mainly to fund projects related to the Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program.
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is to receive NT$4.93 billion, the report said.
The budget for the AI sector is to be boosted by 134 percent to NT$7.4 billion next year from NT$3.2 billion this year, with NT$4.8 billion allocated to the NSTC, NT$1.47 billion to the MOEA and NT$810 million to the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA).
The NSTC would focus on high-performance computer architecture, AI development and setting up an AI computing data center.
The NT$1.4 billion next-generation communications sector budget consists of NT$820 million allocated to the MOEA — to aid chip-based innovations, and international collaborations and experiments in the sixth-generation wireless industry — NT$480 million to the NSTC for the development of low Earth orbit satellites and NT$100 million to the MODA.
The MODA would also receive NT$600 million to improve interdisciplinary and integrated cybersecurity, and chip-based resilience.
The MOEA would get NT$600 million to construct indigenous warplanes and warships, develop an Asian innovation and incubation center and establish a maintenance center for F-16 Falcon aircraft, the report said.
The latest National Development Plan from next year to 2028 has set the gross output value goals for the “five trusted industry sectors,” including a NT$2.66 trillion increase in output value and additional 250,000 job opportunities for the semiconductor sector by 2028, and an output value of up to NT$1 trillion for the AI sector by 2026.
The government also set goals of output value of more than NT$130 billion for the security monitoring and cybersecurity industry, NT$30 billion for the satellite communications industry, and NT$30 billion for the military drone industry.
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
RSS