Taiwan vows to secure economic growth in Year of the Rabbit

Feb 2, 2011, 13:37 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou vowed Wednesday to secure economic growth on the island while fighting to take care of minority groups hit by poverty and natural disasters.

In a televised speech welcoming the Year of the Rabbit, which begins Thursday, Ma said Taiwan was able to achieve 10-per-cent economic growth last year.

'This shows that we have gradually been freed from the troubles of the global financial tsunami, and for this, we expect our economic growth will continue to rise moderately this year,' he said on the eve of the Chinese lunar New Year.

The 2010 growth was the fastest in 23 years, and a solid expansion was expected in 2011, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.

Ma said that with the island's affluence expected to grow in 2011, the government must step up efforts to take care of minority groups, including low-income families and those suffering from damage brought by typhoons and other natural disasters.