Taiwan could launch a new round of stimulus spending vouchers as soon as September, building on the success of last year’s “triple value” scheme. That’s the word on Monday from a government official with knowledge of the plans.
Last June, Taiwan announced a stimulus voucher program that allowed people to exchange NT$1,000 (U$36) for a voucher worth three times that amount.
With Taiwan’s domestic outbreak of COVID-19 subsiding, authorities are considering repeating the scheme using what remains of the government’s special budget. That currently amounts to NT$160.5 billion (US$5.716 billion).
But the government source says that the plans are not final. The source says a lot still depends on whether authorities can keep the COVID-19 outbreak under control.
If the plans for spending vouchers go ahead, the scheme could begin as soon as September. And the government official says the vouchers could be worth more this year than last. For example, the official suggests people could exchange NT$2,000 (US$71) for a voucher worth five times that amount.
The government official also says they might offer added incentives to people opting for the digital vouchers.
The National Development Council has already begun preliminary discussions. The official says the council could make a decision on the scheme at the end of August, ahead of a launch in September.