The Taiwan Comic Base yesterday said that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) did not give a tax identification (ID) number when making a purchase at its comics shop on Sunday, after accusations that he was going to claim reimbursement for a personal purchase.
The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) in a statement on Sunday said that Su had toured the four-story Taiwan Comic Base in Taipei earlier in the day to support original comics from Taiwan and to encourage culture-related spending.
During he visit, Su purchased several comic books and a postcard for his granddaughter using Triple Stimulus Vouchers, the agency said.
However, news footage from Su’s visit showed that the Executive Yuan’s tax ID number was displayed on the cash register during the transaction, leading some people to ask whether he was going to claim reimbursement for the purchase.
The Taiwan Comic Base yesterday said that Su did not give a tax ID number, but the number had been printed on the receipt because an Executive Yuan staff member had informed the shop to do so during preparations for Su’s visit.
The Taiwan Comic Base added that if the receipt needed to be replaced, it would assist in doing so when the store opens today.
Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) on Sunday said the books that Su purchased for his granddaughter totaled NT$3,010, NT$3,000 of which was paid for with the vouchers.
The remaining NT$10 Li lent to Su, Li added.
The purchase was not made from Su’s special allowance or any other official budget, Li said.
An employee in the public relations department provided the Executive Yuan’s information to the shop in advance, Li said, adding that news footage shows that Su was not asked during the purchase whether the tax ID number should be included, and that he was unaware of the information on the receipt.
To avoid public misunderstanding, Li said that the Executive Yuan has asked staff in the public relations department to exchange the receipt at the shop.
Additional reporting by Wu Po-hsuan
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