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Families, farmers get cash boost

A mother plays with her baby at their home in Taipei County yesterday. The Cabinet will begin providing subsidies to disadvantaged families starting in April. PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

The Cabinet yesterday approved a proposal aimed at helping economically disadvantaged families by providing their children with computers, improving community babysitting and granting a monthly subsidy for children under the age of two.

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) told the meeting that he hoped the proposal would encourage population growth as Taiwan ranks as having one of "the lowest fertility rates."

A "low fertility rate" is defined as a total fertility rate (TFR) below 1.3.

The nation's birth rate has been dropping since 1984, with its TFR -- the average number of children expected to be born alive to a woman who passes her childbearing years -- falling to 1.12 in 2006, Chang said.

Under the proposal, the government will earmark NT$4.027 billion (US$124 million) starting this year through 2011 to bridge the digital divide, which will include donating 24,000 computers to children from economically disadvantaged families.

Meanwhile, starting this April, the government will provide a financial subsidy of NT$3,000 per month per child to families, on the condition that the couple are employed, the annual household income is under NT$1.5 million and their children under the age of two are taken care of by babysitters who are licensed by the government.

The subsidy will increase to NT$5,000 if the children of economically disadvantaged families are mentally or physically disabled.

The Cabinet estimated that 47,000 children would benefit from the proposal.

Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) told a press conference after the meeting that the government would establish babysitting services in communities and create more job opportunities for government-licensed babysitters.

In related news, Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) yesterday told farmers that the benefits and rights covered by the farmers insurance system will remain the same when the scheme is integrated with the national pension system starting in October.

Chiou called a press conference to restate the offer that the Cabinet had previously made to farmers, in a bid to discourage a demonstration planned for tomorrow.

Chiou said the government will earmark NT$3.6 billion each year to help farmers pay additional premiums they will incur under the new integrated scheme. Funeral payments and maternity allowances will not be affected after the integration of the farmers' insurance into the national pension scheme, he said.
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