Taiwan Business Group Urges Electricity Price Freeze for Households, Small Shops

Taiwan's electricity prices are set to be reviewed in September, with expectations of no increase for October. However, Hsu Shu-po, chairman of the National Federation of Commerce and Industry (商總), stated that the tight international energy market still pressures domestic electricity costs.

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If there is a need to adjust electricity prices in the future, from the perspective of 商總, facing a K-shaped society, we should consider the differences in industry profits and prioritize companies with strong export performance and higher profits to bear more of the electricity price increase. For general households and small businesses, such as civilian electricity consumption, we recommend maintaining a freeze.

If price adjustments are deemed necessary, Hsu proposed that the burden should fall on highly profitable companies with strong export performance, particularly in the high-tech sector. He advocated for maintaining frozen electricity prices for general households and small businesses, citing the K-shaped economic society where income disparities are widening.

Speaking at the "8th Brand Golden Ship Award" ceremony, Hsu emphasized the need for political parties to end their confrontation. He urged support for budget allocations to Taiwan Power Company (台電) to ensure its normal operations. Without adequate funding, Hsu warned, Taiwan Power's capacity to respond to natural disasters and perform maintenance could be weakened, posing risks to public welfare.

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We hope that the ruling and opposition parties can end their confrontation, and that the budget to subsidize Taiwan Power Company can be smoothly passed to maintain normal operations. Otherwise, facing problems like natural disasters later, it may weaken Taiwan Power's repair capacity.

He also highlighted 商總's efforts to connect with Taiwanese businesses globally, creating a platform to leverage their networks and expertise. This initiative aims to help award-winning companies understand local market demands, reduce barriers to international expansion, and find new opportunities for Taiwanese brands, thereby promoting bilateral economic development.

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We hope to use the human resources, industry experience, and market networks accumulated by overseas Taiwanese businesses over the long term to help award-winning companies grasp local market demands, lower the threshold for overseas expansion, and accelerate the entry of Taiwanese brands into the international market, finding more outlets for Taiwanese enterprises and promoting bilateral economic development.