The Cabinet yesterday approved an amendment seeking to double the tobacco health and welfare surcharge in a bid to control tobacco consumption.
The government suggested raising the surcharge imposed on tobacco products to NT$20 per package from the current NT$10 per package, Cabinet Spokeswoman Vanessa Shih (史亞平) told a press conference after the weekly meeting.
The proposed amendment to the Tobacco Hazard Prevention Act (菸害防制法) states that the 48.7 percent surcharge imposed on the retail price of tobacco products sold in Taiwan is lower than the international standards of 66.7 percent to 80 percent set by the World Bank.
Department of Health statistics shows that annual expenditure on tobacco-related diseases has reached approximately NT$45 billion (US$1.37 billion), accounting for about one-tenth of the National Health Insurance System's expenses.
Shih said the government would use the surcharge collected from tobacco sales to subsidize the health insurance premiums of economically disadvantaged families living in remote areas or those suffering from rare diseases.
The government is expected to adopt the new surcharge on Jan. 11 if the legislature approves the amendment.
The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Statute for Upgrading Industries (促進產業升級條例) designed to encourage investment yesterday.
The amendment proposes granting five-year income tax exemptions to manufacturing or service companies that put in new investments between July 1 this year and the end of next year.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has estimated that this would create NT$500 billion in new investments, which in turn would contribute to an increase of NT$6 billion in tax revenue over five years.
The Cabinet also approved a draft measure to turn Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into an Asian logistics center that could help transform domestic industries and boost long-term economic development.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting that the government planned to set up a state-owned enterprise to manage the transformation of the airport into a regional center.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
RSS