The Taipei City Government plans to spend nearly NT$600 million (US$20.21 million) to revitalize economy activity in the city, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said yesterday.
She made the announcement at a news conference at Taipei City Hall for a new event — “2020 Taipei Shopping Go (2020來台北一起Go)” — to promote commercial activities from July 15 to Aug. 31.
As the central government’s Triple Stimulus Vouchers would be launched on July 15, the city government has been mulling incentives to attract visitors to Taipei and have more people spend their vouchers in the city, she said.
Photo: CNA
The city government came up with two main ideas: holding lotteries to boost sales in shopping districts, as well as at traditional and night markets; and offering an additional NT$1,000 subsidy to city residents who spend their vouchers, using EasyCards for senior citizens and disabled people, she said.
The city would spend more than NT$100 million on the lotteries, Huang said.
People who purchase products or services at stores in Taipei or stay at hotels in the city would have a chance to win prizes — including vehicles worth more than NT$1 million — by registering their receipts online.
Those who spend at one of the 1,000 designated stores in the city or pay with the EasyWallet mobile payment service would have additional chances to win prizes, she added.
Stores with business and tax registration in Taipei that have cashless payment systems, and willing to provide special discounts or souvenirs to customers, can apply with the Taipei Office of Commerce until the end of this month, the office said.
Priority would be given to stores with special local features, it added.
Meanwhile, Huang defended the city government’s use of about NT$8 million from its second reserve fund to finance a video to promote the Taipei Grand Trail (台北大縱走), which cost about NT$15 million.
The Taipei Grand Trail is a special feature of the city, but many people do not know about it, she said.
The city government hopes to develop in-depth tourism to allow foreign visitors to see the beauty of Taipei other than just the famous landmarks, such as Taipei 101 and the National Palace Museum, Huang said.
The money spent on promoting the city’s hiking trails are lower than those spent by other cities and counties, she said, adding that as Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) strictly controls how the fund is used, she believes the project has been carefully planned.
The city’s budget for promotions over the past five years has been much lower than those of previous administrations, Huang said.
Budgets allocated to promotion during the administrations of former Taipei mayors Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) reached “astronomical figures,” she said.
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