In light of economic losses caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Friday said that a plan to provide relief funds to affected industries would be announced in a week.
The relief plan would likely include the provision of loans, loan subsidies and extended debt repayment periods to operators in the tourism and transportation industries, officials said at a Cabinet meeting.
Su also asked agencies to make plans to improve the tourism industry using the relief fund through interdepartmental efforts to create infrastructure and establish transportation at tourist attractions.
Photo: CNA
Government agencies could also review existing plans to boost tourism, such as the provision of barrier-free facilities or the complete renovations of venues, he said.
Separately on Friday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), after a meeting with Legislative Speaker Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), said that his caucus was finalizing a bill that would soon be unveiled and called for nonpartisan support.
The bill would call for the central government to set aside NT$50 billion (US$1.66 billion) in relief funds for the outbreak, Chiang said.
Asked for comment, Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that his caucus neither supported nor opposed such legislation, adding that it would respect the views of the agencies concerned and other caucuses.
The central government’s budget is sufficient to cover the relief funds, and if there is a shortfall, the Executive Yuan’s Second Reserve Fund would offset the difference, Ker said.
He called on central government agencies to focus on disease prevention and only draft a relief bill if necessary, in which case the Cabinet’s version of the legislation would be reviewed alongside versions sponsored by the legislative caucuses.
Yu has said that he would defer to Su’s decision about relief measures.
A high-ranking Executive Yuan official said on condition of anonymity that the Cabinet was working on a special relief bill and that a special budget was being considered.
Apart from the proposed measures, relief would also come in the form of loan guarantees using the Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Fund, which would be offered free of processing fees and cover up to 90 percent of the sum of a loan, the official said.
At least NT$10 billion in relief funds have been earmarked for the tourism and transportation sectors, while funding for other sectors was still being determined, the official added.
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