The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and representatives from its city and county council caucuses yesterday again urged the government to adopt a universal cash handout scheme as a COVID-19 relief measure, saying that it would be more effective than a proposed stimulus voucher program.
Despite the lowering of a nationwide COVID-19 alert to level 2 and an easing of restrictions, business has not picked up, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) told a news conference at the KMT headquarters in Taipei.
That is because people are worried, as many have not received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, he said.
Photo: CNA
Since the detection of a local COVID-19 outbreak in May, many restaurants and food stalls have been forced to suspend business, and some have closed permanently, Chiang said.
Individual workers are also struggling, he said, adding that public opinion on a universal cash handout scheme was “clear.”
Two-thirds of people want such a program, he said, citing the results of a poll released on Friday by the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation.
The economic benefits of last year’s Triple Stimulus Voucher program, which allowed people to purchase NT$3,000 of vouchers for NT$1,000, were not good, Chiang said.
Moreover, the distribution of the vouchers created “chaos” and increased costs, he said.
People have demonstrated self-discipline in cooperating with the government’s COVID-19 prevention efforts, Chiang said.
The government should not “cause trouble” for the public with its COVID-19 relief plans, he added.
As of Saturday, 56,687 workers were on unpaid leave nationwide, KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Alicia Wang (王育敏) said, citing data released on Monday by the Ministry of Labor.
Many Taiwanese have been affected by the local COVID-19 outbreak and are struggling, she said.
The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics recorded an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent in June, which set a 10-year high, the KMT said in a statement.
“Relief requires cash,” and “Handing out cash is more practical,” Chiang, Wang and representatives from the KMT’s city and county council caucuses chanted.
Several KMT city and council caucuses have called on the government to implement a universal cash handout program, while other KMT caucuses would be making the same proposal soon, the party said.
The central government should switch from its planned stimulus voucher program to a universal cash handout scheme, the KMT said.
According to news reports, the Executive Yuan is planning a “quintuple” stimulus voucher program that would allow people to purchase NT$5,000 of vouchers for NT$1,000.
Additional reporting by CNA
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS