In a move to mitigate the effects of rising oil prices, the government yesterday presented a three-month fossil fuel subsidy for specific consumers and announced that it would expand subsidies if prices rose to US$130 per barrel or more.
The government set a benchmark of US$118 per barrel, or NT$30.4 per liter for diesel and NT$33.1 per liter for 95-octane unleaded gasoline, for the subsidy plan.
TAXI BREAKS
Starting on Sunday, taxi drivers will receive a subsidy for a price differential against the benchmark on 95-octane unleaded gasoline up to NT$3 per liter, with a maximum of 100 liters per week.
Operators of city buses, coaches and passenger ships serving outlying islands will be entitled to a subsidy on the price differential against the benchmark set for diesel fuel.
Public transit service providers for persons with physical disabilities will receive a subsidy of up to NT$5 per liter, with a maximum of 825 liters per month, if fuel prices surge beyond benchmark levels.
Highway cargo transporters and tour bus operators will be entitled to a 25 percent exemption on fuel costs, to be collected in June, resulting in losses of NT$137.5 million (US$ 4.792 million) in tax revenues.
The government will also offer various subsidies for fishermen and farmers on fuel for fishing vessels and agricultural machinery.
POSSIBLE EXTENSION
At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting where the proposal was approved, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Sheng-chung (林聖忠) said the government would review the possibility of extending the subsidy by another three months.
Starting in December, the government adopted a “gradual rise” price mechanism whereby state-owned CPC Corp, Taiwan, must absorb half of the increase in fuel prices, with consumers shouldering the other half.
“If oil prices approach US$130 per barrel, we will consider absorbing two-thirds of the price and consumers one-third,” Lin said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS