An economic growth rate of more than 5 percent appears attainable for Taiwan in 2010, given the excellent performance of major indices, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang said Tuesday. Addressing a seminar on Asia's political and economic outlook held by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) , Shih said Taiwan's economy is recovering steadily, a trend which he said has been highlighted in many forecasts and statistics. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that Taiwan will post 6.5 percent economic growth this year, and the TIER is expecting 5.11 percent growth, Shih said. The government's official forecast is 4.72 percent. In addition, Taiwan's industrial production index and export orders both recorded historical highs in March, while the wholesale and retail sectors are improving as well, Shih said. The minister cautioned, however, that Taiwan needed to pay attention to four potential problems ahead as the economy continues to improve. Unemployment is one of them, he said, and although there is no quick solution to Taiwan's structural unemployment, the government is creating more job opportunities in an effort to lower the jobless rate. Shih also expressed concerns that the already big gap between rich and poor may widen further. Commodity price volatility is another problem likely to accompany economic growth, he said. Taking rising oil prices as an example, the minister said the government has the responsibility to help prevent large price fluctuations, but he acknowledged it was limited in what it could do because Taiwan is a free market. Taiwan's uneven industrial structure was the other problem mentioned by Shih. The government, he said, should ensure that every sector is equally developed to strengthen the overall industrial structure. 