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Vested Interests and Infrastructure Quality
Compared with the inspiring buildings rising elsewhere around the region, Taiwan's architecture (the subject of this issue's cover story) has largely remained lackluster. One reason is reluctance in both the public and private sectors to spend the money needed to obtain first-class design. But it also seems clear that Taiwan's politically influential architectural profession has often concentrated more on protecting and expanding its turf than on striving to elevate standards.
A new regulatory proposal illustrates the problem. At the urging of the architectural profession, the government's Public Construction Commission (PCC) has drafted an amendment to its Regulations for Selection and Fee Calculation of Technical Services Providers Entrusted by Entities and circulated it to various government agencies and relevant local business organizations - but not foreign ones like AmCham - for comment. Under Chapter 5 of the amendment, only architects would be authorized to take the lead in public projects involving "buildings," rather than the engineering consulting firms (known as A/Es for "Architect/Engineers") normally in charge of such infrastructure projects. That would be the case even for a power plant or MRT station, even though the building itself may not be the key portion of the facility.
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Labor Policy: Reform or Languish
BY RICHARD R. VUYLSTEKE
In Taiwan, playing the competitiveness ratings game is a sport that's always in season. One of the most recent such reports, published September 26 by the World Bank and the International Finance Corp., lends definitive support to those who worry about the deteriorating strengths of Taiwan's workforce and employment environment. On the bright side, within two weeks of its publication, a pair of meetings in Taipei had identified strategic and tactical paths to upgrading Taiwan's competitiveness in these areas.
First, the facts. The report, Doing Business 2008, is the fifth in an annual series comparing the competitiveness of national economies. It ranks 178 countries based on "10 indicators of business regulations that track the time and cost to meet government requirements in business start-up, operations, trade, taxation, and closure." (Not covered in this survey are such things as macroeconomic policy, quality of infrastructure, currency volatility, investor perceptions, and crime rates).
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By Jane Rickards
MACROECONOMICS
CENTRAL BANK AGAIN HIKES INTEREST RATES
- CROSS-STRAIT
OLYMPIC TORCH TO SKIP TAIWAN stop
DOMESTIC
COMPETING RALLIES HELD REGARDING JOINING U.N.
VICE PRESIDENT, DPP CHAIRMAN, SECURITY COUNCIL HEAD INDICTED
INTERNATIONAL
U.S. URGES TAIWAN TO ABSTAIN FROM REFERENDUM ON U.N.
TAIWAN'S LATEST U.N. BID PREDICTABLY QUASHED
CHINA'S PRESIDENT MEETS EX-ACER HEAD AT APEC SUMMIT
BUSINESS
AIG SETS UP AFFILIATE TO TAP WEALTH MARKET
WARBURG PINCUS TO BUY INTO TFT-LCD MAKER
ACER ANNOUNCES PLANS TO PURCHASE GATEWAY
HSBC LAUNCHES TAIWAN LIFE INSURANCE UNIT
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Issues: A Mediocre Report Card |
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* In a World Bank study of the ease of doing business - By Don Shapiro
* Taiwan was ranked in 50th place among 178 economies surveyed - By Zoe Hou and Don Shapiro
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Cover Story: Upgrading Taipei's Architecture |
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* Despite its aspirations to be an international city, Taipei has not been able to boast of much world-class architecture - glorious buildings that breathe spirit and pride into a metropolis. Even Taipei 101 has gained more attention for its height than its design. Now as a result of architectural awards focusing public awareness on exceptional design, as well as a movement within the profession to reform architectural education and qualification procedures, hope is stirring that new construction may give the city a much different look in the years ahead. - By Lin Mei-Chun
* Three Who Have Had an Impact - By Lin Mei-Chun
* What's Happening Beyong Taipei - By Lin Mei-Chun
* Exquisite but Tempoary - By Stephanie Poon
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