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DGBAS forecasts GDP growth of 4.64%
CLEAR ORDER VISIBILITY: DGBAS Minister Chu Tzer-ming said that the economy looks solid ahead, despite lingering uncertainty linked to the COVID-19 pandemic
By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s economy last quarter expanded 5.09 percent, 1.81 percentage points higher than a forecast in November last year, as exports proved much healthier than expected, thanks to robust demand for electronics used in new technology applications and the low-contact economy, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.
The trend is expected to continue this year, with clear order visibility through the first half, which merits upgrading the GDP growth forecast for the year to 4.64 percent, significantly higher than the previous forecast of 3.83 percent, it said.
《TAIPEI TIMES》 DGBAS forecasts GDP growth of 4 64％ - 焦點 ltn.com.tw - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ltn.com.tw Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Germany’s BioNTech said Wednesday it would provide its COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan after the island’s health minister implied a deal to buy 5 million doses had been scuttled for political reasons.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung said earlier Wednesday that Taiwan officials had been prepared to announce the deal in December when BioNTech suddenly pulled out.
Chen, speaking in a radio interview, did not directly mention Chinese involvement, but implied that external political pressure could have hampered the deal, saying “certain people don’t want Taiwan to be too happy.”
Taiwan paid for the doses at the end of November, Chen said, but the deal fell through due to the involvement of the Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Company, which develops COVID-19 vaccines using BioNTech technology in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.