AmCham’s Retail Committee offers suggestions on making proposed regulatory changes more practical. Whenever member economies of the World Trade Organization propose to alter existing regulations in ways that would potentially impact foreign products or services, a comment period of up to 90 days is available for other governments or concerned parties to raise objections or…
The new mayor of Taoyuan says the project is viable, but needs more transparency and public involvement. When preparing the report that appeared in the August issue last year on the massive infrastructure development project known as the Taoyuan Aerotropolis, Taiwan Business TOPICS solicited the views of Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), then the Democratic Progressive Party…
A National Drug Policy Forum brought wide discussion but few conclusions. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) in early February convened a one-day National Drug Policy Forum (originally scheduled to be held in December 2014), bringing together representatives from the various stakeholders: government, hospitals and other healthcare providers, the pharmaceutical industry (both originals and…
What is needed now is a full, transparent listing of all the criteria upon which investments will be judged. Since its establishment in 2012, AmCham Taipei’s Private Equity Committee has held numerous constructive meetings with officials from relevant government agencies, particularly the Investment Commission under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Financial Supervisory Commission….
AmCham Taipei 2015 White Paper follow-up meetings with various government agencies. Each year the various AmCham Taipei committees follow up their White Paper entries with calls on the relevant government offices to discuss the current advocacy issues. Over the past several months these meetings have included: Environmental Protection Administration, December 22. On behalf of the…
The industry looks forward to potential further opening later this year. In AmCham’s Taiwan White Paper for the past several years, the Insurance Committee urged the government to enable consumers to purchase relatively simple types of insurance more conveniently online. For example, the Committee’s position paper suggested revision of a regulation requiring online purchasers of…
The deadline for completion of the reorganization plan has been extended to the end of this year. Under the original schedule, a plan for extensive restructuring of the government’s executive branch – reducing the number of cabinet-level agencies from 37 to 29 and enhancing efficiency by bringing related functions under the same ministry – was…
How to protect animals while also ensuring consumer safety? A bill currently before the Legislative Yuan would prohibit the manufacture and sale in Taiwan of cosmetics products tested on animals when alternative methods are available. It would authorize the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) to designate the alternative methods specified for industry use. If…
Progress in the past half year has been encouraging on numerous front. By Don Shapiro AmCham Taipei’s Taiwan White Paper is published annually in June, making this month the halfway point in the Chamber’s advocacy cycle and therefore an opportune time to review the progress of the 2014 White Paper issues. Nearly all of the…
Moving up to the next level remains a challenge. by Don Shapiro The annual Doing Business survey sponsored by the World Bank always provides a useful yardstick for how Taiwan’s business environment stacks up against those of other countries. This year, with Taiwan – or Taiwan, China as the World Bank insists on calling…
