ECCT 2022 Position Papers: Taiwan's Time to Shine

The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) today released its 2022 Position Papers. Through the theme "Taiwan's Time to Shine", the chamber urged the government to take action to speed up Taiwan's energy transformation, attract and retain talent, and enhance the conditions for developing innovative technologies and future industry stars.

The launch was held at an ECCT Premium Event lunch today, where ECCT Chairman H Henry Chang officially handed over a copy of the chamber's annual publication to the Taiwan government, represented by Dr Kung Ming-hsin, Minister of the National Development Council (NDC). This year's publication includes separate submissions from 25 of the ECCT's 29 industry and support committees and raises 170 issues, 118 from previous years and 52 new issues.

In his presentation to NDC Minister Kung and ECCT members at the launch, Chairman Henry Chang thanked the government for efforts on making progress on 26 issues from the previous year. He went on to give a summary of the Position Paper Overview and highlight some of the major issues facing ECCT members. He noted that the number and complexity of issues has increased over the years. While the focus in previous years tended to be on examples where Taiwan was not following international standards, there are now fewer cases of this than in the past. Now much more focus is on following the best international practices in order to spur innovation and economic development.

Summary of the 2022 Position Paper Overview
Taiwan has navigated the global coronavirus pandemic relatively well and been a net beneficiary of the acceleration of digitalisation and the shift to remote working necessitated by the pandemic. Now is truly Taiwan's time to shine.

However, it should not be overlooked that Taiwan's success is also thanks to its unique circumstances, both geographically and economically, which have insulated it from the worst impacts of the pandemic. Now that the threat level of the pandemic is receding, Taiwan can no longer count on these advantages to keep the economy ticking over. Taiwan's current strategy will need to be adapted to the evolving situation in recognition that Taiwan's hitherto success has been thanks to its connection and integration with the world. Border restrictions should be phased out gradually, starting with a pathway in for business-critical positions. Rather than a case-by-case review process, the government should establish clear entry criteria to allow businesses to sustain business operations and talent circulation.

The Overview goes on to list actions in specific areas that the government could take to keep Taiwan shining.

Taiwan's Energy Transformation
The ECCT has welcomed Taiwan's commitment to a net zero target by 2050 to address climate change as well as the impact that pending measures like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will have on Taiwanese manufacturers. But to reach net zero, Taiwan will need to develop and implement a comprehensive roadmap for energy transformation in collaboration with all stakeholders that address the issues outlined below.

Effective leadership in energy matters: At present, too often ministries and their subordinate agencies operate in silos without due consideration of the big picture and how their actions may hamper those of others. Effective cross-ministerial leadership and coordination is essential to ensure a smooth energy transformation.

Decarbonisation roadmap by sector: To ensure that Taiwan's decarbonisation efforts are coordinated, Taiwan's net zero roadmap should include much more ambitious annual targets for the power sector, industry, mobility, and buildings. The government should actively help traditional industries to decarbonise through subsidies and incentives and implement a roadmap with annual targets towards battery-based electrification of city-based vehicles, with a national recharging station strategy.

Speeding up the renewable energy roll-out: Taiwan boasts some of the world's best conditions for both wind and solar energy. Yet progress towards tapping into both sources has been slow owing to local content requirements and red tape. Authorities are advised not to add to already tough-to-meet local content requirements and to streamline procedures for renewable energy projects.

Grid & energy storage infrastructure: To ensure energy security and grid stability, Taiwan needs to implement a holistic and forward-looking grid and energy storage plan.

Talent & Education
Taiwan was seen as relative safe haven during the pandemic which helped to attract a number of talented Taiwanese to return home from overseas and to keep talented foreigners in Taiwan who were due for repatriation or rotation. Now that the pandemic threat is receding, Taiwan's advantage in this regard will soon be gone. If Taiwan is to become a lasting bright spot for global talent, it will have to address the following issues:

Modernising labour laws: Taiwan's labour laws require reforms that take into account the complexities of both modern workplaces and remote working. This should include exempting remote workers from the strict requirements to record working hours and attendance records and creating a new category of worker under Taiwan's labour laws that is neither an employee nor an independent contractor.

Childcare friendly policies: The lack of childcare facilities, the expensive cost of childcare where it is available, and the lack of flexibility in labour regulations have increased the economic and social costs of raising children. This could be alleviated by allowing employees to choose to work from home as an alternative to unpaid parental leave, and by providing incentives to encourage enterprises to provide childcare spaces and facilities in their workplaces.

Improving incentives for foreign talent: The qualifications for Taiwan's Employment Gold Card scheme need to be relaxed to make Taiwan attractive to foreign talent.

More flexible visa, work permit and immigration requirements: The current complex application process for visas and work permits for foreign nationals should be streamlined to make it easier for foreign nationals to change their status without leaving Taiwan after finding employment. Authorities should also grant three-year work permits to all qualified foreign professionals and introduce 90-day business visas for foreign professionals rather than requiring them to go through the lengthy and formal process of applying for a formal work permit.

Ensuring equal treatment: The coronavirus pandemic gave foreign residents renewed appreciation of the benefits of living and working in Taiwan. However, it also exposed some of the areas where foreign residents are treated differently from citizens. The government would make them feel welcome by changing the necessary laws and ending all forms of unequal treatment, especially for permanent residents.

Improving the English language environment: The ECCT has welcomed the government's aim to become a bilingual nation by 2030 and steps taken so far, such as translating policies, legislation, regulations, rulings, public announcements into English. However, more could be done towards increasing the scope and improving the quality of government websites as well as offline resources, achieving a greater level of bilingualism in government agencies and enhancing English fluency in education, government, and the private sector.

Enhancing education: To address the lack of qualified teachers in public schools, the government could create a one-year English-language accreditation programme in Taiwan. In addition, the Private Schools Act should be amended to attract prestigious schools to set up branches in Taiwan. Taiwan's education system would also be boosted by higher utilisation of internationally recognised education programmes, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB).

Technology & Future Industries
The global pandemic shone a light on the essential role that semiconductors play in multiple supply chains while the electronic devices and components made by Taiwanese companies were crucial in enabling the shift to digitalisation and remote working that was necessitated by global lockdowns and related restrictions. However, elements of Taiwan's regulatory system are making it difficult to take advantage of modern technologies to conduct business and innovate.

Digitalisation: The pending Ministry of Digital Development is advised to revise existing laws and regulations to boost the development of the digital economy and help to improve coordination across all government agencies in this regard. The government should lead by example by digitalising aspects of its own services that remain analogue and allow financial institutions to adopt an electronic signature platforms and other digital solutions. In addition, authorities should follow the global trend and expand the use of digital solutions for inspections and processing documents to more industry categories.

Smart, remote, and precision healthcare: The global pandemic highlighted the usefulness and potential of using digital technology, such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data to enable smart and remote healthcare. To enable the development of innovative healthcare solutions, the government should open access to the national health insurance database to the domestic biomedical industry and international companies by following best practices adopted in European countries.

Upgrading communications infrastructure: Advanced telecommunications infrastructure is essential for the development of innovative industries and services of the future. However, various impediments and a lack of incentives are holding back telecom infrastructure development. To expedite development, rules need to be simplified, government agency cooperation should be improved to encourage the installation of equipment, including small cells, on public land and buildings. In addition, more financial incentives are needed for telecom operators to keep upgrading infrastructure in order to create an ideal environment for digital innovation.

Internationalisation and global integration
While Taiwan authorities continue to make progress towards aligning the local regulatory system with international standards and best practices, there are examples where they deviate from the best international examples. International alignment will help to make it easier both for existing market participants and new entrants from abroad and local start-ups to get up and running. In addition, the ECCT continues to support the government's efforts to pursue international trade deals, especially an EU-Taiwan Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA).

Conclusion
The Overview concludes that in addition to its handling of the pandemic, the government has demonstrated a will to tackle other difficult problems and made progress in resolving some of the challenging issues facing business over the past year. However, at this stage of the pandemic, a different strategy is needed. When other countries are opening up, continued isolation risks leaving Taiwan behind in the contest for international talent, trade, and investment. Taiwan should therefore prepare for the post-pandemic era in recognition that the foundation of its success to date has been its open society and integration with the world. As Taiwan emerges from the pandemic, it should re-embrace this winning formula.

Following the recommendations in the 2022 Position Papers would help Taiwan to overcome diverse challenges, advance the energy transformation, enhance Taiwan's attractiveness for talent and investment in innovative technologies and industries of the future and capitalise on the great economic opportunities available in the post-pandemic era. The ECCT therefore urges the government to continue to engage in constructive and comprehensive consultations with the ECCT and work together to strengthen Taiwan's international image and attractiveness and make Taiwan shine even brighter.

歐洲商會2021建議書主題：台灣揚名全球的契機

歐洲在臺商務協會（ECCT，以下簡稱歐洲商會）今日發布2022年建議書。歐洲商會以「台灣揚名全球的契機」為主題，敦促政府採取行動，加速臺灣能源轉型，吸引及留住人才，並提昇環境，以發展創新技術及產業的明日之星。

今日之歐洲商會菁英午餐會上，理事長張瀚書將商會今年度建議書，遞交臺灣政府，並由國家發展委員會（NDC）主任委員龔明鑫代表接受。該建議書由歐洲商會所屬29個產業及特別委員會之中的25個委員會分別提出建議，合計提出了170項議題，其中118項是以往所提，另外52項則為新議題。

張理事長於午餐會上，向國家發展委員會龔主委及商會成員們報告時，感謝政府在過去一年間，於26項議題上取得顯著進展之努力。接著，他針對建議書概論提出摘要說明，並強調商會成員們面臨之一些重要議題，這些議題數量及複雜度逐年增加。過去議題大多注重在臺灣需跟進國際標準，但相較於今年，此類議題已減少許多，如今議題著重於臺灣需參考國際間成功實例，帶動創新及刺激經濟發展。

2022建議書概論的摘要
臺灣於全球冠狀病毒疫情肆虐下，表現相對可圈可點，且於數位化腳步加速，及因應疫情所需而轉型至遠端工作之時刻中，成為淨受益者。臺灣大放異彩的時刻已然來臨。

然而，不容忽視的是，臺灣的成功亦得益於其獨特之地理及經濟環境，使其置身於疫情最惡劣影響之外。如今疫情威脅程度已逐步趨緩，臺灣不能再僅憑恃此優勢以維繫經濟運轉。然臺灣與國際間密切合作十分成功，但目前策略應配合瞬息萬變的局勢隨機應變，邊境限制應逐步廢止，而首要之務是為關鍵業務職位提供進入管道。比起逐案審查，政府應制定明確的入境標準，讓企業得以維持業務營運和人才流通。

該概論亦列舉出政府可採取之具體措施，使臺灣持續發光發熱。

臺灣的能源轉型：
歐洲商會欣見臺灣致力於2050年淨零碳排目標，以因應氣候變化及歐盟碳邊境調整機制（ＣＢＡＭ）之未決措施等對臺灣製造商產生的影響。然欲達成淨零碳排，臺灣需與所有利害關係人合作，發展並實施全面的能源轉型藍圖，並解決以下概述之議題。

在能源問題上的有效領導：
目前，各部會及所屬單位往往僅各司其事，未能縱觀全局，亦未能深思熟慮其行動可能淪為其他單位行動之絆腳石。故有效之跨部門領導及協調，對於確保能源轉型的順利進行，至關重要。

按部門劃分的脫碳藍圖：
為確保臺灣於脫碳上所為之種種努力得以相輔相成，臺灣的淨零藍圖，應該包括展望更遠的電力部門、工業、交通及建築之年度目標。政府應透過補貼及獎勵措施，積極輔助傳統行業脫碳，並實施朝向以電池供電之市區電動車輛之藍圖，輔以國家充電站政策。

加速推廣再生能源：
臺灣擁有世界上數一數二的風能及太陽能條件。然而，由於地方自製率要求及繁瑣程序，開發此二類能源的進展緩慢。政府應聽取建議，切勿再增加已難以實現的自製率要求，並簡化可再生能源專案的程序。

電網與電力儲存基礎設施：
為確保能源安全及電網穩定，臺灣需要實施全面、具前瞻性的電網及儲能計畫。

人才與教育：
疫情期間，臺灣被視為相對安全之避風港。此有助於吸引許多臺灣人才自海外歸國，亦使應遣返或輪值之外籍人才滯留臺灣。如今疫情威脅已不若以往，臺灣於此等優勢將倏忽即逝。臺灣如欲成為全球人才的持久亮點，應致力於解決下列議題：

勞工法的現代化：
臺灣的勞工法需改革，將現代工作場所及遠端工作之複雜性納入考量。應包含免除遠端工作者記錄工作時間及出勤狀況之嚴格規定，並依臺灣勞工法，創造一個既非雇員，亦非獨立承攬人員之新勞工類別。

托兒友善政策：
缺乏兒童照護設施、高昂的兒童照護費用，以及僵化的勞動法規，皆提高養兒育女的經濟及社會成本。但藉由允許員工得以選擇在家工作，用以替代無薪育嬰假，並透過獎勵措施，鼓勵企業於工作場所提供托兒空間及設施，可緩解上述困境。

改善外籍人才的福利：
放寬臺灣就業金卡計畫的資格，以吸引外籍人才。

彈性的簽證、工作許可和移民申請規定：
應該簡化現行複雜的外籍人士簽證和工作許可申請流程，以便外籍人士於受雇後，更易於改變其停居留身份，而無需離開臺灣。政府亦應向所有適格之外國專業人才發放為期三年的工作許可，並提供９０日商務簽證，而非要求其經歷冗長和正式的程序，申請正式工作許可證。

確立公平待遇：
冠狀病毒疫情使外籍居留者，對在臺生活及工作之益處產生新理解。然而亦揭露了於某些方面，外籍居留者與公民遭受到不同待遇。政府應透過修訂所需法律，並終止一切形式之不平等待遇－尤其是對永久居民，使其有賓至如歸之感。

英語環境的改善：
歐洲商會對政府於2030成為雙語國家之目標，以及迄今採取的措施表示歡迎，如將政策、法令、法規、裁決、公告等譯為英語。然而，於擴大政府網站和離線資源之範圍並改善其品質、提高政府單位的雙語水準以及加強教育、政府和私部門的英語流暢度等方面，均尚有進步之餘地。

教育優化：
為了解決公立學校缺乏合格教師的問題，政府可於臺灣設立為期一年之英語語言認證課程。此外，《私立學校法》亦應修改，以吸引名校在臺設立分校。國際文憑（ＩＢ）等國際認可教育課程利用率越高，越可使臺灣的教育體系更上層樓。

技術和未來產業：
全球疫情中彰顯了半導體於多個供應鏈中不可或缺的地位，而臺灣企業生產的電子設備和零件，於因應全球封鎖和相關限制所需之數位化，及轉型至遠端工作時，更是至關重要。然而，臺灣監管體系的要素，使善用現代技術來開展業務和創新變得困難重重。

數位化：
建議即將成立的數位發展部修訂現行法律法規，以促進數位經濟之發展，並幫助與增進政府各單位之協調。政府應以身作則，數位化仍存在的類比訊號服務，並允許金融機構採用電子簽章平台和其他數位方案。此外，政府應順應全球趨勢，將用於檢驗及處理檔案之數位方案，擴大到更多行業類別。

智慧、遠端和精準醫療：
全球疫情凸顯了運用數位科技，如5Ｇ、人工智慧（ＡＩ）和大數據於實現智慧遠端醫療的實用性及潛力。為開發創新的醫療保健方案，政府應遵循歐洲國家採用之最佳實務，向國內生物醫學產業及國際公司開放全民健康保險資料庫。

升級通信基礎建設：
先進之電信基礎建設，對於未來創新產業和服務的發展至關重要。然而，各種障礙和缺乏獎勵措施，阻礙了電信基礎建設發展。為加快發展，應簡化規則，提昇政府單位間之合作，且應鼓勵於公共土地與建物上安裝設備，包括小型基地台。此外，對電信業者提供更多的經濟獎勵措施，以持續升級基礎建設，為數位創新開創理想環境。

國際化及全球一體化：
儘管臺灣政府於在地監管體系與國際標準及最佳實務接軌方面持續進展，然某些標準與做法仍偏離最佳國際範例。國際合作將有助於現有市場參者及海外與和本地新創企業者，使其更容易營運。此外，歐洲商會將持續支持政府，努力達成國際貿易協定，特別是歐盟－臺灣雙邊投資協定（ＢＩＡ）。

總結：
本建議書概論所提的結論為，除應對疫情外，政府亦展現出解決其他困難問題的決心，對解決過去一年企業面臨的挑戰上，取得進展。然而，於疫情大流行階段，需採取不同策略，當其他國家對外開放時，臺灣持續鎖國可能使國際人才、貿易和投資於競爭中落於人後。故此，臺灣應為後疫情時代整裝待發，體認到迄今成功之基礎乃源於開放的社會及與世界的融合。隨著臺灣從疫情中東山再起，應準備再度採納此制勝之道。

遵循2022年建議書中之建議，將有助於臺灣克服各種挑戰，推進能源轉型，增強其對未來創新技術、產業人才及投資的吸引力，善用後疫情時代之大好經濟良機。因此，歐洲商會敦促政府持續與其進行建設性的全面協商，共同努力以加強臺灣之國際形象與吸引力，而使臺灣大放異彩。