Hit South Korean girl group Twice held two concerts at the Kaohsiung National Stadium on Nov. 22 and 23, their first performances in Taiwan since their debut about 10 years ago. Taiwanese fans were thrilled.
On the eve of the first concert, President William Lai (賴清德) said that “Taiwanese have money and time to buy concert tickets and enjoy the shows.”
Lai likely intended to express that as the economy continues to grow, Taiwanese not only have more money, but also leisure time to buy concert tickets, and such progress is worth applauding.
However, that statement comes amid feelings of helplessness among arts graduates.
The National Taiwan University’s (NTU) graduation song released in May included the lyrics: “At the job fair, when I say: ‘NTU sociology major,’ why do all the employers lose their smiles?”
The song highlights the difficulties students in the humanities face. If they were in science or engineering, their salaries postgraduation would likely be much higher, and companies would be opening their doors wide to hire them. While science graduates are living on cloud nine with pockets full of cash, arts graduates can barely scrape together a living.
Regarding the widening wealth gap, Lai, during a visit to a temple in Miaoli County to pray for good luck a few months ago, pledged that the government would implement tax cuts. Yay.
When filing taxes in May, those with an annual salary of approximately NT$626,000 — or with a monthly salary of about NT$50,000 — do not need to pay taxes at all. The tax burden would be borne by the top 1 percent of high-income earners, with an estimated 40 to 50 percent of the total population being exempt from taxation. Well, that is more like it.
Taiwan’s national income is high. It has performed impressively in global rankings on national income. Despite the high income, the government is still willing to make large tax cuts. So what exactly are Taiwanese dissatisfied with?
According to data IMF data, Taiwan ranks 13th globally and fifth in Asia in terms of GDP per capita, a remarkable performance. Taiwan also ranks fifth globally and second in Asia, behind Singapore, in terms of net financial assets per capita, the Allianz Global Wealth Report 2025 showed.
However, why has public satisfaction with government performance not increased despite such achievements in national governance? Because commodity prices have been rising, as have housing prices and rents.
Governing toward “common prosperity” is the way to go. As the saying goes: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” The government exempting about 40 to 50 percent of the population from taxation indicates it is on the correct policy path. If it can also try to stabilize Taiwan’s commodity and housing prices, the Lai administration’s approval ratings would surely rise accordingly.
Chiu Shih-chang is a teacher in New Taipei City.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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