The nation’s energy supply is sufficient enough to meet the needs of China-based Taiwanese companies moving their operations back home amid a US-China trade dispute, Premier Su Tseng-chang  said yesterday.

Su made the remarks at a meeting with members of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce in response to association chairman Lin Por-fong’s  suggestion that the nation ensure a stable energy supply with nuclear power as a backup, and make sure that there are no interruptions in the supply of alternative energy sources.

The construction of Formosa I — the nation’s first offshore wind farm — began last week as part of the government’s efforts to increase the ratio of renewable energy in the nation’s energy mix, Su said.

New power generation units have been added to the coal-fired Linkou Power Plant in New Taipei City and the Dalin Power Plant in Kaohsiung as well as the natural gas-fired Tongsiao Power Plant in Miaoli County to ensure a 10 percent operating reserve and a 15 percent reserve margin, he added.

“Business leaders can invest in the nation’s industries with confidence, as the energy supply is not only sufficient, but enough to meet the electricity demand of firms considering moving operations back home,” Su said.

However, the association said that the government should respond to the intensifying trade dispute by improving the nation’s investment environment, help returning companies obtain land to set up facilities and “ensure that labor conditions fit the needs of the business sector.”

For example, the government should not cave in to the demand that employees be allowed to take “long-term care leave” of up to 180 days to take care of elderly family members or give in to the demands by industry associations that “do not have enough representation,” Lin said.

The association also recommended that the government cancel the stamp tax, saying that collecting both the stamp tax and the business tax has resulted in double taxing.

The government would consider abolishing the stamp tax while ensuring that it would not contravene taxation rules and that the resulting loss of tax revenue for local governments would be offset, Su said.

He said that he would instruct the Ministry of Finance to draft an amendment to the taxation rules after gauging the feasibility of the suggestion and engaging in sufficient discussions with lawmakers and local governments.

Among other suggestions by the association was that Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Wellington Koo consider allowing life insurance companies to purchase presale homes for self use, saying that doing so would help the fiacialsector pursue more growth.