The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a proposed amendment that would double the cap on a special budget to support COVID-19 economic relief measures to NT$840 billion (US$30.37 billion).
The amendments to the Special Act for Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例) also extended the act, which was set to expire at the end of this month, to June 30 next year.
The act was first introduced last year as COVID-19 began to spread globally, with the budget capped at NT$210 billion to ease the virus’ impact on the economy.
Photo: CNA
The budget has since received two additional increases and currently stands at NT$420 billion.
The Cabinet on May 13 sent a proposed amendment raising the budget by NT$210 billion to NT$630 billion to the Legislative Yuan for review.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus raised the budget to NT$840 billion, given the increasing number of domestic transmissions of unknown origin.
The amended act is expected to take effect on Thursday once it is promulgated by the president. Only after that would the Cabinet make public specific budget proposals on how the money should be spent, which would then be reviewed by the Legislative Yuan.
On receiving the budget proposals from the Cabinet, the Legislative Yuan is scheduled to hold a round of cross-party meetings on Friday to discuss when to hold an extraordinary legislative session to review them, as the last session ended yesterday, DPP caucus whip Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said.
According to the Executive Yuan, the funds would be used to help individuals and industries hardest hit by the outbreak and disease control restrictions. This would include loans to people in need.
One measure is a one-off payment of NT$10,000 per child to families with elementary-school age and younger children, as well as teenage students with disabilities. There is also a one-time subsidy of NT$10,000 to NT$30,000 for farmers, fishers, tour guides, taxi drivers and the self-employed, among others.
Lawmakers yesterday also passed 206 resolutions, including one ensuring that a special legislative task force, established to review government data on the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, would continue to operate in the next legislative session.
The committee was created on May 5 in response to opposition party allegations that Taiwanese have been kept in the dark on the issue.
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