The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics recently released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2023, indicating a 2.5% increase, marking the second-highest record in 15 years. During an interview at the Legislature on Tuesday, Economic Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花) revealed that the Cabinet has established an inter-agency task force to examine the reasonableness of prices and engage in cross-agency discussions.
Regarding the economic outlook for 2024, Wang expressed optimism about the demand for AI-related chips and servers. Wang adds that Taiwan continues to play an internationally important role in electric vehicle components, so development is expected in this area. She says that the Olympic Games this year will also be helpful to the textile and footwear industries.
Wang also commented on recent concerns over Shopline. ECPay stated on Monday that during their annual customer survey, they had discovered that Shopline may have become a predominantly Chinese-invested company. Citing concerns about platform fund flows, user data, and cybersecurity risks, ECPay decided to terminate cooperation with Shopline in accordance with the law. Wang says that the Department of Investment Review would expedite the investigation and send inquiries accordingly.