Premier Wu Den-yih is scheduled to tour the Hsinchu Science Park March 10, to meet with business leaders in an attempt to understand their concerns and persuade them to hire more employees.

Wu, together with the heads of various governmental ministries and departments, is expected to meet with such business leaders as Tsai Ming-kai, chairman of MediaTek Inc., Sun Shih-wei, chief executive officer of United Microelectronics Corp., as well as representatives from such companies as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Elan Microelectronics Corp.

All told, Wu is expected to meet with representatives from 25 companies. The premier said he hopes his visit will help improve the employment situation, noting that President Ma Ying-jeou has designated 2010 a “job creation year.”

Randy Tzong-ming Yen, director-general of the Hsinchu Science Park Administration, said on March 13 his park will hold a job fair, in which 33 companies are expected to participate. Altogether 4,625 vacancies are expected to be filled. Wu is expected to attend the fair as well, in an attempt to better understand the employment situation at the nation’s science parks, Yen said.

According to Yen, Wu will also listen to the views of business leaders, who will be encouraged to share their views on the Statute for Industrial Innovation, currently being deliberated in the Legislative Yuan, as well as other government policies.

Sources said businesses might also address such questions as how park management fees should be collected and used, and doing away with import and export tariffs. As many of these issues involve the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Fair Trade Commission, and so on, the heads of these and other government agencies will also tour with Wu, to attend conferences and answer questions.

According to Yen, the Hsinchu Science Park currently employs more than 133,000 people, a record high since the park was founded 30 years ago. Last year, more than 20,000 were put on unpaid leave due to the global financial tsunami. But as of now only 24 people are on furlough.

In addition to visiting the Hsinchu Science Park, Wu is also slated to visit the Southern Taiwan Science Park March 11, and the Central Taiwan Science Park March 17. (HZW)

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