The Executive Yuan on Thursday approved a government proposal to allocate an additional NT$160 billion (US$5.78 billion) for COVID-19 relief and prevention.
Most of the new funds would go toward the Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers program, which is to begin on Oct. 8, to spur economic recovery, the Executive Yuan said.
The program is to receive NT$120.69 billion, with each eligible person receiving NT$5,000 of vouchers, a supplementary budget from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed.
In addition, NT$6.6 billion has been proposed for secondary voucher programs geared toward providing relief to sectors that have been hardest hit by restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the DGBAS proposal showed.
Other allocations include NT$13.78 billion in emergency relief funding for families in need, cram schools, after-school care centers and sports companies affected by restrictions, as well as students at universities whose families have been affected, the agency said.
The proposal showed NT$18.91 billion has been earmarked for COVID-19 prevention and control, most of which would be to enhance testing capacity, establish screening stations, set up mass vaccination programs, open COVID-19 consultation hotlines and procure COVID-19 treatments.
Having cleared the Cabinet, the NT$160 billion supplementary budget proposal is to be submitted to the legislature for review.
An amendment to the Special Act for Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe Pneumonia With Novel Pathogens (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例規定) caps the special budget for COVID-19 response at NT$840 billion.
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