Taoyuan City Councilor Liu Mao-chun (劉茂群) on Friday claimed to speak for local parents at a municipal session, saying they were concerned about the rising number of toy claw crane machines around schools, where children were “spending their breakfast money.”
Liu, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), said she received complaints from parents in her electoral district of Bade (八德).
Claw machine stores had appeared near the Da Cheng, Juifong and Guangsing elementary schools, as well as Yongfong Junior High School, causing children to spend their breakfast money and go to school hungry, Liu said.
Photo: Hsieh Wu-hsiung, Taipei Times
A resident in her constituency had told her that his wife had spent NT$6,000, half the family’s monthly allotment for food purchases, on the machines within a few days, Liu said.
Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) promised to investigate tax records and commercial license registrations for all claw machine stores near the schools.
Just like vending machine operators, owners of claw machines only need to apply for commercial registration, Cheng said.
Claw machines are defined as “selective vending machines,” as they must guarantee a certain success ratio, Taoyuan Economic Development Bureau Director Chu Sung-wei (朱松偉) said, citing the Statute Regulating Arcades and Gaming Facilities (電子遊戲場管理條例).
The machines’ categorization affords them the same treatment as common vending machines, which only require license registration, Chu said.
The sudden increase in claw machines nationwide has also been a source of discussion online, including on the popular Professional Technology Temple (PTT) electronic bulletin board.
Some netizens speculated that the sudden flood of claw machine stores was because the stores could not be rented out for other purposes.
They speculated that property owners might be frustrated by interest in their buildings and accept offers from claw machine companies, whose business does not require constant staff supervision.
Others said that the appearance of claw machines — which offer simple entertainment at a very low price — is indicative of an economy in recession and should be considered a warning sign.
While people think it is a business trend, it is only a fad hiding the more worrying problem that store locations cannot be rented out, commentators on PTT said.
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
TECH PROGRAM: A US official said that an important part of the delegation’s trip would be to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co executives The US is to send officials in charge of chip development to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to promote cooperation in the global semiconductor supply chain, the US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Chips Program Office Director Michael Schmidt announced the visit, which marks the first time officials from the office are to visit the three nations since it was set up in September last year. “As semiconductors and technologies continue to evolve, the United States will keep working with allies and partners to develop coordinated strategies to ensure that malign actors cannot use the latest technologies to undermine our collective
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number
RSS