The Taxation Agency at the Ministry of Finance yesterday said that more than 200 millionaires had been created by winning the grand prize of the uniform invoice lottery since the agency added two more grand prizes in 2008.
The agency said that up to the March and April draw, there were a total of 317 grand prize winners, but 101 of them, or 32 percent, had not collected their prizes of NT$2 million (US$62,800) each, adding that more than 90 of the unclaimed prizes were overdue.
incentives
Two more grand prizes were added, beginning from the draw for September and October in 2008, in an attempt to increase incentives for consumers to ask for receipts when shopping and beef up the central government’s tax revenues, the agency said.
The May and June draw this year had a total of 38 grand prize winners, including one that won the prize on a receipt that he obtained after spending NT$8 for a fax at a convenience store, the agency said, adding that the prizes must be claimed before Nov 5.
public doubt
Late last month, the Chinese-language Next Magazine reported that TV broadcasts of the uniform invoice lottery drawings were pre-recorded and the winning numbers were drawn before it was broadcast on TV, raising public doubt about the drawings’ fairness.
However, the ministry said at the time that the drawings were fair and transparent, although it admitted that they were pre-recorded to ensure the TV program would run smoothly.
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