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It
will also seek to work with Taiwan's government towards a
regulatory environment that will allow ride-sharing to flourish,
David Plouffe, Uber's senior vice president of policy and
strategy, said in an interview during a visit to Taipei.
Uber faces increasing competition in Southeast Asia, such as
from Gojek in Indonesia. Analysts have said such competition
could prompt Uber to try to acquire some of its rivals as it
expands.
"I think our view is that we prefer to build and succeed on our
own, and that's what our focus is," Plouffe said, declining to
comment on questions on fundraising plans.
While competition is increasing in other parts of Asia, the U.S.
start-up is facing specific challenges in the Taiwan market,
mirroring legal and regulatory scrutiny in other parts of the
world.
"It would be amazing if a country like Taiwan that wants to be
seen as such a bastion of innovation and embracing technology
would turn a cold shoulder on something like ride-sharing," said
Plouffe, who was President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign manager.
Taiwan has asked Uber to pay a sales tax bill estimated by local
media to be up to about $6.4 million.
Taiwan's Investment Commission once considered ordering Uber to
exit the market, saying the company misrepresented its business
as an internet-based technology platform rather than a
transportation service.
"We are a technology company, and we're not regulated as a
transportation company anywhere in the world," Plouffe said.
As Uber continues to work with the Taiwan government, it sees
challenges ahead.
"Not every county understands the benefit. So we just have to
agree with the right way forward... We do want to be regulated,"
he said.
"I think here in Taiwan the government understands and embraces
ride-sharing. That's a great start... But you also have to
understand that you have to have the right regulatory
environment to allow that to flourish. That's the challenge."
(Reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Keith Weir)
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