President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has been repeatedly bragging that Taiwan is pretty much clear of its economic woes. However, apart from not being able to end its multitude of economic problems this year, there is also a risk that things could take a turn for the worse. Taiwan’s GDP may grow by 3 percent or 4 percent this year because it is compared to a lower base period — last year — but if the many longstanding problems are not completely solved, simply improving economic indicators will not improve living standards.