The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) maintains that universal cash payments would be the “most effective” form of COVID-19 relief, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday, following news reports that government plans for another stimulus voucher program are in the works.
Since last month, the KMT has on multiple occasions urged the government to provide a universal relief payment of NT$10,000.
The Executive Yuan is in the middle of planning a COVID-19 stimulus program, with a meeting expected to be held this week to discuss the scheme, a report published yesterday by the Chinese-language United Daily News said.
Photo: CNA
The Executive Yuan intends to issue another round of stimulus vouchers this year, while the likelihood that it would make cash payments to all Taiwanese is relatively low, the report cited an anonymous government official as saying.
Asked to comment, Chiang said: “We have always believed that universal cash payments would be the most effective.”
“Besides, this year’s COVID-19 situation is completely different,” he said on the sidelines of an event organized by the KMT’s Taipei chapter to donate 1,000 boxes of food, masks and other supplies to people struggling amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Unlike last year, Taiwan has been under a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert for two months and restaurants have been banned from offering dine-in services, he said.
Given the differences from last year’s situation, the government should not “copy and paste” its Triple Stimulus Voucher scheme to address this year’s situation, he said, warning of a potential public backlash if the government were to reintroduce the same program.
The Triple Stimulus Voucher program, which was launched in July last year, allowed people to purchase NT$3,000 worth of vouchers for NT$1,000, which they could use until Dec. 31 last year.
Earlier in the event yesterday, Chiang brought up his party’s proposal for universal cash relief payments, describing it as the “simplest, fastest and most effective” relief measure, which has proven effective in other countries.
Chiang also repeated his party’s calls for the government to impose a price freeze on fuel and electricity as part of COVID-19 relief.
Although the government last month suspended the implementation of higher summer electricity rates, which are applied annually from June to September, the KMT has urged the government to cancel this year’s seasonal rate increase altogether.
Many people are still struggling, despite a partial relaxation on Tuesday last week of COVID-19 restrictions, Chiang said.
The government should consider the public’s perspective, he added.
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
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“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
RSS