Property, Plant and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Disclosure of detailed information about property, plant and equipment [abstract]

16.

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT


	December 31
	2022		2023
	NT$		NT$
	(In Millions)
Assets used by the Company	$	285,329	$	285,085
Assets subject to operating leases		6,199		7,253
	$	291,528	$	292,338

Assets used by the Company


	Land			Land Improvements			Buildings			Computer Equipment			Telecommuni- cations Equipment			Transportation Equipment			Miscellaneous Equipment			Construction in Progress and Equipment to be Accepted			Total
	NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$
	(In Millions)
Cost
Balance on January 1, 2021	$	101,991		$	1,630		$	70,889		$	12,406		$	710,776		$	3,894		$	10,300		$	8,529		$	920,415
Additions		—			—			37			72			84			—			198			35,222			35,613
Disposal		—			(1	)		(29	)		(1,734	)		(27,916	)		(84	)		(470	)		—			(30,234	)
Effect of foreign exchange differences		—			—			—			—			(64	)		—			(2	)		(6	)		(72	)
Others		654			33			461			473			30,654			117			783			(32,959	)		216
Balance on December 31, 2021	$	102,645		$	1,662		$	71,358		$	11,217		$	713,534		$	3,927		$	10,809		$	10,786		$	925,938
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance on January 1, 2021	$	—		$	(1,399	)	$	(29,247	)	$	(10,639	)	$	(593,663	)	$	(3,718	)	$	(7,926	)	$	—		$	(646,592	)
Depreciation expenses		—			(43	)		(1,401	)		(716	)		(24,802	)		(65	)		(701	)		—			(27,728	)
Disposal		—			1			29			1,724			27,900			84			466			—			30,204
Effect of foreign exchange differences		—			—			—			—			31			—			1			—			32
Others		—			(1	)		41			(1	)		1			—			(45	)		—			(5	)
Balance on December 31, 2021	$	—		$	(1,442	)	$	(30,578	)	$	(9,632	)	$	(590,533	)	$	(3,699	)	$	(8,205	)	$	—		$	(644,089	)
Balance on December 31, 2021, net	$	102,645		$	220		$	40,780		$	1,585		$	123,001		$	228		$	2,604		$	10,786		$	281,849
Cost
Balance on January 1, 2022	$	102,645		$	1,662		$	71,358		$	11,217		$	713,534		$	3,927		$	10,809		$	10,786			925,938
Additions		460			—			133			102			149			1			253			30,167			31,265
Disposal		(4	)		(6	)		(7	)		(808	)		(18,395	)		(104	)		(392	)		—			(19,716	)
Effect of foreign exchange differences		—			—			—			—			209			—			4			19			232
Others		563			19			1,046			578			24,571			147			794			(26,545	)		1,173
Balance on December 31, 2022	$	103,664		$	1,675		$	72,530		$	11,089		$	720,068		$	3,971		$	11,468		$	14,427		$	938,892

(Continued)


	Land			Land Improvements			Buildings			Computer Equipment			Telecommuni- cations Equipment			Transportation Equipment			Miscellaneous Equipment			Construction in Progress and Equipment to be Accepted			Total
	NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$			NT$
	(In Millions)
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance on January 1, 2022	$	—		$	(1,442	)	$	(30,578	)	$	(9,632	)	$	(590,533	)	$	(3,699	)	$	(8,205	)	$	—		$	(644,089	)
Depreciation expenses		—			(39	)		(1,452	)		(725	)		(25,654	)		(77	)		(754	)		—			(28,701	)
Disposal		—			7			7			807			18,382			104			388			—			19,695
Effect of foreign exchange differences		—			—			—			—			(110	)		—			(2	)		—			(112	)
Others		—			—			(240	)		(4	)		(42	)		(1	)		(69	)		—			(356	)
Balance on December 31, 2022	$	—		$	(1,474	)	$	(32,263	)	$	(9,554	)	$	(597,957	)	$	(3,673	)	$	(8,642	)	$	—		$	(653,563	)
Balance on December 31, 2022, net	$	103,664		$	201		$	40,267		$	1,535		$	122,111		$	298		$	2,826		$	14,427		$	285,329
Cost
Balance on January 1, 2023	$	103,664		$	1,675		$	72,530		$	11,089		$	720,068		$	3,971		$	11,468		$	14,427		$	938,892
Additions		99			—			36			127			106			3			243			29,780			30,394
Disposal		(2	)		—			(1	)		(1,049	)		(24,877	)		(112	)		(418	)		—			(26,459	)
Effect of foreign exchange differences		—			—			—			—			(5	)		—			(3	)		—			(8	)
Others		(876	)		34			(810	)		878			26,143			188			801			(28,270	)		(1,912	)
Balance on December 31, 2023	$	102,885		$	1,709		$	71,755		$	11,045		$	721,435		$	4,050		$	12,091		$	15,937		$	940,907
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance on January 1, 2023	$	—		$	(1,474	)	$	(32,263	)	$	(9,554	)	$	(597,957	)	$	(3,673	)	$	(8,642	)	$	—		$	(653,563	)
Depreciation expenses		—			(34	)		(1,439	)		(698	)		(25,704	)		(94	)		(797	)		—			(28,766	)
Disposal		—			—			—			1,049			24,867			113			411			—			26,440
Impairment losses		—			—			—			—			(299	)		—			—			—			(299	)
Effect of foreign exchange differences		—			—			—			—			5			—			1			—			6
Others		—			—			418			(18	)		(43	)		(1	)		4			—			360
Balance on December 31, 2023	$	—		$	(1,508	)	$	(33,284	)	$	(9,221	)	$	(599,131	)	$	(3,655	)	$	(9,023	)	$	—		$	(655,822	)
Balance on December 31, 2023, net	$	102,885		$	201		$	38,471		$	1,824		$	122,304		$	395		$	3,068		$	15,937		$	285,085

(Concluded)

Chunghwa signed a joint development agreement with the MOTC previously which stated that the MOTC would provide the national land and Chunghwa would be in charge of the planning and construction for the MOTC’s office building, Chunghwa’s Renai office building, etc. According to the agreement, the MOTC and Chunghwa would each own a certain percentage of the buildings, and Chunghwa is to pay or get the reimbursement for the difference between the assessed value of the land and the construction cost paid by Chunghwa on behalf of the MOTC. The difference amounting to $1,057 million due to the MOTC was reported to Chunghwa’s Board of Directors in May 2020. Chunghwa paid the aforementioned amount in May 2021 and the property registration of the respective asset was completed in July 2021.

There was no indication that property, plant and equipment was impaired; therefore, the Company did not recognize any impairment loss for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022.

After the evaluation of certain telecommunications equipment, the Company determined that the recoverable amount of such assets was nil because the telecommunications service provided by 3G network will be discontinued in 2024; therefore, the Company recognized an impairment loss of $299 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The aforementioned impairment loss was included in other income and expenses in the statements of comprehensive income.

Depreciation expense for assets used by the Company is computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated service lives:


Land improvements		10-30 years
Buildings
Main buildings		20-60 years
Other building facilities		3-15 years
Computer equipment		2-8 years
Telecommunications equipment
Telecommunication circuits		2-30 years
Telecommunication machinery and antennas equipment		2-30 years
Transportation equipment		2-10 years
Miscellaneous equipment
Leasehold improvements		1-18 years
Mechanical and air conditioner equipment		3-16 years
Others		1-15 years

Assets subject to operating leases


	Land			Buildings			Total
	NT$			NT$			NT$
	(In Millions)
Cost
Balance on January 1, 2021	$	4,973		$	4,236		$	9,209
Others		(164	)		(102	)		(266	)
Balance on December 31, 2021	$	4,809		$	4,134		$	8,943
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance on January 1, 2021	$	—		$	(1,616	)	$	(1,616	)
Depreciation expenses		—			(77	)		(77	)
Others		—			1			1
Balance on December 31, 2021	$	—		$	(1,692	)	$	(1,692	)
Balance on December 31, 2021, net	$	4,809		$	2,442		$	7,251
Cost
Balance on January 1, 2022	$	4,809		$	4,134		$	8,943
Additions		—			—			—
Others		(433	)		(949	)		(1,382	)
Balance on December 31, 2022	$	4,376		$	3,185		$	7,561
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance on January 1, 2022	$	—		$	(1,692	)	$	(1,692	)
Depreciation expenses		—			(59	)		(59	)
Others		—			389			389
Balance on December 31, 2022	$	—		$	(1,362	)	$	(1,362	)
Balance on December 31, 2022, net	$	4,376		$	1,823		$	6,199
Cost
Balance on January 1, 2023	$	4,376		$	3,185		$	7,561
Additions		—			4			4
Others		548			942			1,490
Balance on December 31, 2023	$	4,924		$	4,131		$	9,055
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance on January 1, 2023	$	—		$	(1,362	)	$	(1,362	)
Depreciation expenses		—			(73	)		(73	)
Others		—			(367	)		(367	)
Balance on December 31, 2023	$	—		$	(1,802	)	$	(1,802	)
Balance on December 31, 2023, net	$	4,924		$	2,329		$	7,253

The Company leases out land and buildings with lease terms between 1 to 20 years. The lessees do not have bargain purchase options to acquire the assets at the expiry of the lease periods.

The future aggregate lease collection under operating lease for the freehold plant, property and equipment was as follows:


	December 31
	2022		2023
	NT$		NT$
	(In Millions)
Year 1	$	389	$	381
Year 2		281		279
Year 3		211		221
Year 4		177		176
Year 5		149		146
Onwards		1,122		1,025
	$	2,329	$	2,228

The above items of property, plant and equipment subject to operating leases are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives as follows:


Buildings
Main buildings		35-60 years
Other building facilities		3-15 years