Chen Ming-sheng looks tired. After 15 years, he is closing his small car parts business in Taipei. “It’s not worth it any more. The only ones making money are IT exporters,” he says. “The government is just not dedicated to making business flourish.” With more than 3 per cent growth expected this year, Taiwan’s economy is not exactly in crisis. But having boasted one of the fastest growth rates in Asia in the 1980s and 1990s, it now trails the rest of the region a trend many blame on the government’s failure to implement essential reforms.