When it became evident that none of the 80 issues raised by AmCham Taipei’s various committees in the 2016 Taiwan White Paper had been fully resolved, the Taiwan government took action in hopes of assuring greater progress in the coming year on the current White Paper issues released in June. Deputy Minister Kung Ming-hsin of…
The 2017 AmCham Taipei “Doorknock” mission encounters a hard line on trade issues. Early on in the five-day AmCham Taipei “Doorknock” visit to Washington D.C. in late June, the delegation became starkly aware of just how much the operating style of the U.S. government has changed under the Trump administration. Even career government officials who…
Taiwan has made important improvements in its rules-making procedures. But some additional steps are needed. The Tsai Ing-wen administration deserves hearty applause for its extension of the notice and comment period for new laws and regulations from 14 to 60 days, an initiative that propels Taiwan to the front rank in Asia in the area…
Should the current target-expenditure system be extended? When the Taiwan government five years ago was working on how to revamp the National Health Insurance (NHI) program to help ensure its long-term sustainability, one of the new measures it adopted was a suggestion from the pharmaceutical industry that had been broached in AmCham Taipei’s 2010 Taiwan…
In its 2017 Taiwan White Paper released on June 8, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei assessed the performance of the first year of the Tsai Ing-wen administration from the viewpoint of the foreign business community. Introducing the content of the White Paper at a Chamber luncheon attended by more than a hundred members…
Does it make sense that businesses with fleets of motor vehicles are required by law to rent parking spaces they never use? Contending that the answer is clearly “no,” the Transportation & Logistics Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei has requested the authorities to eliminate a practice that serves the interest only…
Company HR representatives cite an urgent need for greater flexibility. When Deputy Labor Minister Liau Huei-Fang accepted an invitation from AmCham Taipei’s Human Resources Committee to exchange views with Committee members about recently implemented amendments to the Labor Standards Law (LSL), more than 100 HR specialists showed up for the meeting on April 19. The…
Taiwan revises its law, but eligibility terms seem strict. A revision to the Nationality Act passed in December and promulgated last month will make it easier–but not nearly as easy as many long-term foreign residents of Taiwan had hoped–for nationals of other countries to become citizens of the Republic of China without having to relinquish…
A visiting delegation urges early passage of Patent Linkage legislation. During a recent visit to Taipei, a six-member delegation from the Washington, DC-based Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) urged Taiwan’s legislature to give early attention to pending bills to strengthen intellectual property protection for pharmaceuticals. Passage of the proposed amendments to the Pharmaceutical…
Should customers cancelling a special offer be guaranteed a refund? When arranging an overseas holiday, have you ever booked hotel rooms online as part of a special promotion such as an “early-bird package” offering an attractive discount from the ordinary room rate? If so, you undoubtedly noticed and agreed to the stated conditions – pre-payment…
