The Chinese government aims to increase the number of small- and medium-sized businesses in the country to more than 1.35 million by 2009, so that their annual sales will reach more than NT$13.8 trillion and the number of their workers will exceed 7.99 million, according to an industrial development package recently approved by the Cabinet. Over the next three years, the government plans to set up four business incubation and support centres, establish a business start-up information database, provide assistance to 2,000 new globally competitive firms, stimulate new investment worth NT$15 billion, create 4,200 new jobs and obtain 390 new patents.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs will cooperate with the information technology industry to provide localized guidance to micro-businesses of less than 20 personnel, and assist in the digitization of small- and medium-sized businesses so that the Internet can be used to expand business. The ministry wants to expand the number of small- and medium-sized businesses using e-commerce by 75,000 over the next three years and increase the value of online business opportunities by NT$6 billion.

Also, the government will enhance the quality control abilities of these businesses, help them pass international standards certification and train management personnel. The government's objective is to offer guidance to 120 business clusters, assist more than 60 businesses obtain international standards certification and increase the sales of these firms by NT$6 billion. Meanwhile, the government will strengthen credit guarantees for small- and medium-sized businesses and relax qualifications for businesses intending to apply for them.

Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/