Taiwan’s government has officially announced its plans to release stimulus spending vouchers at the beginning of October.
People who qualify for this year’s program will be able to collect a voucher worth NT$5,000 without having to put any of their own money. That differs from last year, when people had to spend NT$1,000 to receive a voucher with three times the value.
On Monday, the government encouraged lawmakers to give their views on the voucher plan. After the two sides reached a final consensus, the government made an official public announcement.
Ker Chien-ming, the majority leader of Taiwan’s legislature, says that it took a while to devise the plan because of all the factors that had to be considered. These included gaining the support from both major political parties, preventing the spread of COVID-19, and revitalizing the economy.
Media sources have asked Ker if deferring the voucher program’s validation to the legislature hurt Premier Su Tseng-chang’s ego. Ker says that these sorts of accusations have no benefit to anyone and dismissed the question. He says that the government values having a wide range of opinions, which can only be maintained through mutual respect and free discussion.