With the gradual easing of COVID-19 control measures and the effects of the government’s stimulus voucher program, domestic retailers along with food and beverage businesses are expected to experience a continued rebound this quarter, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Friday.
“The retail industry has gradually stabilized and the consumer traffic at physical store channels has returned, leading retail sales to return to positive annual growth last month,” the ministry said in a statement.
Retail sales grew 1.3 percent year-on-year to NT$325.4 billion (US$11.7 billion) in September, following three consecutive months of annual contraction, the ministry’s data showed on Monday last
People eat at a supermarket food court in Taipei yesterday, with a sign nearby showing images of the government’s Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers. Local businesses are offering promotional activities in conjunction with the launch of the vouchers.
Many countries have expressed concerns over security in the Taiwan Strait, but neither China’s threats nor the government’s warnings seem to affect most Taiwanese.
Ministry of National Defense data show that from Friday last week to Tuesday, China’s military sent a total of 150 aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), and many countries, especially the US and Japan, have said they are concerned about China endangering cross-strait stability.
Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) on Wednesday described the security situation in the Strait as the tensest in 40 years, citing the surge in incursions by Chinese aircraft. Previous crises,