Ma speaks on measures to bridge rich/poor gap

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Main opposition Kuomintang presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou said Monday that a better economy will be fundamental in helping bridge the gap between the rich and the poor yesterday.

Ma made the remarks while visiting the grassroots supporters in Toulio, Yunlin as part of his island-wide campaign activities.

He said that improving the economy is fundamental to solving the problem, saying that a more liberal economic policy will replace current conservative policy if he is elected.

He said the financial, tourism, and health care sectors of the service industry will be the prime movers of Taiwan's economy and create more jobs.

He also envisions Taiwan becoming a global operations center for Taiwanese business people and a regional operations center for foreign business people with the hope of achieving the goal of "6-2-3," meaning an annual growth of 6 percent, per capita income of US$20,000 in 2011 and a jobless rate of less than 3 percent by 2012.