A raft of new programs and government policies that are expected to bring benefits to society at large will take effect today.
Among them is a child welfare program sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior, which will allow Taiwanese families with an annual household income of less than NT$1.5 million (US$50,000) and families to receive a monthly stipend of NT$3,000 for each child under 2 years of age.
Families in all income brackets will also be eligible to receive the stipend after the birth of a third child.
In Taipei City, a campaign to boost the city’s birth rate will also be launched starting today. Couples who have lived in the city for more than a year will be offered an incentive of NT$20,000 for each newborn child, once at least one of the parents has recognized household registration in the city.
The campaign also allows a monthly subsidy of NT$2,500 to be granted to families for children under the age of five years, providing the parents are registered Taipei City residents who have lived in the city for more than a year and are in an income tax bracket that places them in the bottom 20 percent of income earners.
Other policy changes and initiatives that will also take effect today include the decision to increase the country’s monthly minimum wage from NT$17,280 to NT$17,880 and the hourly minimum wage from NT$95 to NT$98.
The EU visa waiver privilege for Taiwanese passport holders traveling to the Schengen Area and three EU member states will also take effect on Jan. 11.
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