The integrated circuit (IC) is the core element in all electronic products. Starting in 1975, the government energetically engaged in the development of the IC industry and successfully broke through the technical bottleneck. The IC has been referred to as "The rice of the electronic industry'' and has laid a solid foundation for the Information Technology Industry.    This Directorate will use IC as subject matter for a set of two postage stamps, denominated NT$5.00 and NT$26.00. The NT$5.00 stamp depicts an IC that makes computer and telecommunications industry able to accelerate technical and economic development, shortening distances in the global village. The NT$26.00 features a wafer which is raw material of IC, linked to a portable computer, a cellular, and an electronic synthesized instrument, denoting that IC is an essential product that will contribute to the development of computer and telecommunications products.    The electronic products that use IC as elements roughly fall into three categories-information products, telecommunications products include monitors, computers, mother board, mice and keyboards; telecommunications products include cellular phones, modems, telephones, fax machines, internet products, and wireless equipment; consumer products include televisions, internet receivers, CD-ROMs and electronic synthesized instruments.