Just as is being done in Singapore and Hong Kong, authorities in Taiwan are seeking to promote out-of-court settlements of structured note disputes. The FSC has met on numerous occasions with banks to work out a consensus on how to handle disputes, and banks have recently adopted a set of objectives for the handling of applications for dispute resolution, with an eye to reaching settlements as quickly as possible. Disputes involving senior citizens, persons with a low level of education or a serious injury or illness, and other socially disadvantaged parties will be given top priority. Because investors and banks have come to a consensus on the desirability of reaching out-of-court settlements, settlements have been reached in 7,603 (32.63%) of the cases that have come before the ROC Bankers Association Committee on Banking Consumer Disputes Resolution as of 4 September 2009, up from 11.7% at the end of June, while settlements have also been reached in 13,416 cases (71%) that have not come before the Committee, for a combined total of over 21,000 out-of-court settlements. It is thus quite clear that efforts to achieve settlements have recently been picking up steam. The FSC will continue urging banks and investors to seek settlements so that structured notes disputes can be resolved as quickly as possible and banks can get back to normal business operations.