Emphasis on Promoting Economic Expansion Essential
In a recent development, business owners in Taiwan have expressed strong opposition to the newly amended Court Organization Act, which would permit live broadcasting of court procedures. The reported annual cost to implement this nationwide live-streaming is more than NT$500 billion (approximately US$17.28 billion), a significant amount equivalent to 25% of Samsung Electronics Co’s annual revenue [1].
If the live broadcasting of court procedures is not implemented, the government could potentially save up to NT$500 billion (US$17.28 billion) annually. Business owners argue that these funds would be much better spent on initiatives for economic improvement, such as addressing labor shortages and operational bottlenecks, or other growth-oriented policies [1].
The food and beverage industry is also suggested to expand into the cultural sector, including Taiwanese dramas, traditional media, and language and culture teaching. The government is urged to support cultural enterprises by guaranteeing bank loans, rather than mocking cultural workers or monopolizing the spotlight [2].
Moreover, business owners are struggling with rising labor costs and low employment rates, and are dissatisfied with the government's lack of action on migrant workers. They believe that President William Lai should focus on industrial transformation and use the executive branch's authority to cooperate directly with businesses, exerting pressure on unproductive legislators [2].
Meanwhile, companies such as Asustek Computer Inc and Acer Inc are compared to future Samsung, and three of the business owners who support the DPP suggest that the administration should work around the KMT-TPP alliance majority in the Legislative Yuan and interact directly with entrepreneurs [3].
In a separate development, the mass recall movement is ongoing, but business owners are calling for more action from the government. The potential annual savings of NT$500 billion, if the live court broadcasting plan is shelved and funds are reallocated towards economic development, is seen as a significant opportunity for the government to address these concerns [1].
Furthermore, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp could be integrated into the future Hanwha Group for manufacturing military equipment, and Xiamen University is collaborating with Filipino-Chinese organizations to teach Southern Min to Han Chinese Filipinos, a potential cultural export opportunity for Taiwan that Taiwan has not seized [4].
References: [1] Taiwan News, 2023. "Business Owners Oppose Live Court Broadcast Plan, Advocate for Economic Development." [online] Available at:
In light of the potential savings of NT$500 billion annually if the live court broadcasting plan is shelved, it presents an opportunity for the government to focus on economic development, including initiatives for economic improvement such as addressing labor shortages and operational bottlenecks in various industries (Taiwan News, 2023). Business owners argue that these funds could be better spent on such growth-oriented policies, instead of on the live-streaming of court procedures (Taiwan News, 2023).
