Fri, Oct 11, 2024 page2

• My goal is care for all Taiwanese: Lai

  INCLUSIVE: The president vowed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises, work toward net zero, and shared plans that would benefit people of different generations

  • By Esme Yeh / Staff writer
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  The government would continue to boost national resilience by improving livelihoods and disaster prevention, President William Lai (賴清德) said in his Double Ten National Day address yesterday, titled “Taiwan Together for Our Shared Dream.”

  “My mission is to care for the lives and livelihoods of the 23 million people of Taiwan, actively develop our economy and expand investment in social care,” Lai said, adding that he would ensure the fruits of economic growth are shared among all people.

  The president in his speech vowed a general grant of NT$724.1 billion (US$22.52 billion) and centrally funded tax revenue allocated to local governments for next year.

  

  President William Lai gives a speech during the Double Ten National Day celebration in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: An Rong Xu, Bloomberg

  To maintain Taiwan’s indispensable position in the global supply chain, the government would step up the development of the “five trusted industry sectors” — semiconductors, artificial intelligence, military defense, security and surveillance, and next-generation communications — in addition to the “five plus two” innovative industries policy and the “six core strategic industries” initiative, he said.

  The government would also assist small and medium-sized enterprises, and microbusinesses to transform and enter international markets, promote the “second energy transition” to ensure stable power supply and diversify green energy, steadily moving toward the global goal of net zero by 2050, Lai said.

  The government would also care for people of different generations, he said.

  The National Child Care Policy for Ages 0-6 would remain and childcare subsidies would be increased to improve preschool service quality, Lai said.

  The scheme to waive tuition fees for high-school and vocational-school students, and to subsidize tuition fees for private college students would continue, while the NT$10 billion Fund for Youth Overseas Dream was established to help young people realize their dreams, he added.

  To reduce the burden on workers, the government would also raise the minimum wage, subsidize more rental housing and combat housing speculation to curb surging housing prices, Lai said.

  For elderly people, the government is to launch a NT$10 billion Fund for New Cancer Drugs and the Long-term Care 3.0 program to enhance the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, he said, adding that the government would also “bring mental health support to people of all ages.”

  Lai also vowed efforts to crack down on fraud, improve transportation networks and increase the budget for water control.

  An additional NT$15.9 billion had been set aside for next year to help local governments address extreme weather, he added.

  Lai also expressed his gratitude to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) for facilitating cross-party negotiations.

  Regardless of political identities or stances, “national interests come before the interests of parties, and the interests of parties can never take precedence over the interests of the people,” he said.

  Commenting on the speech, Chinese National Federation of Industries head Pan Chun-jung (潘俊榮) said he agreed with Lai’s emphasis on the need to modernize the economy and complete the energy transition.

  A stable energy supply is “the most basic need” for industry development, Pan added.

  “Just as a person cannot live without food,” neither foreign nor domestic firms would stay in a country without a stable power supply, Pan said.

  National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, ROC chairman Lee Yu-chia (李育家) said that he hoped the government would invest more in helping small firms modernize and transition into new industries, given Lai’s support for “balanced economic development.”

  Additional reporting by CNA
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