Taipei: A NT$550 billion (US$17.92 billion) special budget bill aimed at strengthening economic, social, and national security resilience, which includes funding for a proposed NT$10,000 cash handout, cleared the Legislative Yuan on Friday. The cash handout is expected to begin in early November, as Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun previously stated. Details on the distribution schedule will be announced on the same day the president promulgates the special budget.
According to Focus Taiwan, foreign nationals with permanent residency or those married to Taiwanese nationals will be eligible for the NT$10,000 cash handouts from the government. This follows the Cabinet’s approval of the NT$550 billion special budget on September 11, with NT$236 billion earmarked for the cash handout and NT$20 billion for reserve funds for future industrial support.
The Legislative Yuan’s Finance and other related committees conducted a joint review before forwarding the bill for cross-party negotiations. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu convened cross-party talks on Wednesday, during which eight proposals were agreed to be voted on. These included a NT$200 million cut to national defense capacity-building, a NT$2 billion freeze on subsidies to labor and health insurance funds, and a reduction in media promotion expenses.
