Nantou County councilors on Tuesday last week accused the county government of poor planning after county officials said they had already spent all of the NT$37 million (US$1.27 million) earmarked to subsidize dentures for older residents this year.
The program, which started last year, was supposed to pay a maximum of NT$40,000 each to subsidize dentures for people over 65 who have resided in the county for at least one year, and can provide a note and a quote from their dentist.
However, the county ran out of money just two months into the program. It then raised the program’s budget from NT$20 million to NT$37million, which again proved insufficient.
The program’s suspension prompted accusations of poor planning and lack of foresight from county councilors.
As about 80,000 residents are eligible for the program, the county should have anticipated high demand for the subsidies, said Nantou County Councilor Chang Chih-ming (張志銘) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
“It is the [county] government’s responsibility to make sound budget plans, not this sloppy attitude of spending the money until it runs out,” he said.
DPP Nantou County Councilor Lo Mei-lin (羅美玲) said she had repeatedly cautioned the county government to make better use of its limited resources by prioritizing older residents in lower-income households.
“Eligibility for the subsidies should have been prioritized according to income level,” she said.
Nantou Bureau of Social Services and Labor Administration said it is trying to find additional funds and that the program should resume in the second half of this year, adding that the county government extends its sincere apologies to the residents.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS