Clark to house $1-B Samsung Electronics plant

MANILA, Philippines- A strategic are inside the Clark Special Economic Zone will be home to the planned $1-billion production plant of top chip maker Samsung Electronics. A top government official privy to the negotiations said that the government gave Samsung a choice between Clark and Subic Ecozone, but Samsung Electronics preferred the latter instead due to the lack of available land inside the Subic Bay. "In fact, there is already an area reserved for Samsung inside Clark," he said. Samsung Electronics is one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world and South Korea's top electronics company. It makes various types of consumer devices including DVD players, big-screen television sets, and digital still cameras, computers, color monitors, LCD panels and printers. It also manufactures semiconductors such as flash memory and communications devices ranging from wireless phones to networking switches. The company which is the flagship member of Samsung Group, also makes microwave ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines. The official further confirmed that it took the government over a year to finally close the deal with Samsung who wants to engage in chips production for exports to other major countries worldwide. The delay was caused by the tax evasion issue against its company president in South Korea. The official said Samsung's operations in Clark would be similar to what Texas Instruments is presently into. Clark was the same zone where United Parcel Service housed its services, until recently, when the firm decided to downsize its business in the Philippines and relocate elsewhere. - GMANews.TV