Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠) plans to lower the eligibility age for cultural points from the current 16 to 22-year-old age group to include 13 to 15-year-olds. The pilot program for this expansion will be launched next year.
The Culture Points program is a NT$1,200 (US$37) cash handout initiative aimed at cultivating young adults' appreciation for the arts while supporting Taiwan's cultural and creative sectors.
During a legislative session on Wednesday, Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) questioned where the budget for next year’s pilot program would come from, noting that the proposed Culture Points budget is slightly lower than the current NT$1.99 billion (US$62 million). Minister Li responded that the pilot program will be funded by reallocating the existing cultural point budget. He also clarified that the pilot program will offer 600 points to 13 to 15-year-olds, half of the 1,200 points allocated in the current program.
Culture Points can be used for exhibitions, performances, museum visits, Taiwanese film screenings, and book purchases, among other activities. One point is equivalent to NT$1.