Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday released his women and children’s policy, promising to give subsidies of up to NT$30,000 (US$950) to city residents who have children.
He proposed a NT$20,000 subsidy for parents who have their first baby, and in an effort to increase the city’s birthrate and ease the burden on parents, a second newborn in the family would be eligible for a NT$30,000 subsidy.
Su also promised to give a monthly subsidy of NT$2,500 to families with one child under the age of six. Family with two or more children would receive a NT$2,500 monthly subsidy for their first-born child and NT$3,000 for every additional child.
The DPP candidate presented the policy after a similar subsidy plan was presented by Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) in May.
In Hau’s subsidy plan, Taipei residents who have a child would be eligible for a NT$20,000 subsidy from Jan. 1. The city government would offer the subsidy for a newborn if either parent’s registered household has been in Taipei City for more than one year. Families with children under five years old and an annual net income below NT$1.13 million would receive a monthly subsidy of NT$2,500.
Su described Hau’s birth subsidy plan as an irresponsible strategy to attract voters’ support by “paying the bill once and leaving,” and insisted that his women and children’s policy would include other measures, including raising the quality of childcare service.
“The money is of course an incentive, but not the only one. Our policy is more comprehensive and will more effectively encourage an increase in the birth rate,” he said.
Hau defended his birth subsidy plan yesterday, saying the city would also enhance the after-school care of students as a way to ease the burden on parents. He also ridiculed Su for copying the content of his policy.
“I am happy to see that Mr Su is following our footsteps and presenting a similar subsidy plan,” he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS