Some parents in Taipei are to receive an additional subsidy of NT$5,000 at the birth of their second and third child, the Taipei City Government said on Wednesday, adding that it hoped the measure would increase the city’s dwindling population.
Starting yesterday, the measure raises the one-time subsidy for a second child to NT$25,000 and to NT$30,000 for a third Child, the Taipei Department of Civil Affairs said.
The amendment was passed on Wednesday as part of an effort to reverse the population decline in Taipei and create a symbiotic living circle with New Taipei City and Keelung, the department said.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Taipei residents who have moved to the capital from New Taipei City or Keelung after living there for at least 10 months would be eligible to receive the subsidies, it said.
In addition to the increased one-time subsidies, Taipei said it is also increasing its monthly child-rearing benefits.
Starting in August, the benefits would be raised by NT$1,500, so that parents would receive NT$5,000 per month for their first child, NT$6,000 for their second and NT$7,000 for their third, the department said.
The monthly childcare subsidy would be increased from between NT$7,000 and NT$9,000 to between NT$8,500 and NT$10,500, while public and semi-public preschool fees would be capped at NT$3,000 per month, it said.
The increases follow the introduction of several other measures earlier this month by Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), who said the goal was to reverse the city’s declining population.
Taipei Department of Civil Affairs data showed that the city’s population had dropped from 2,704,810 in 2015 to 2,524,393 last year.
Analysts said that soaring housing costs, low wages and a lack of childcare subsidies are some of the factors contributing to the steady decline of Taipei’s population, as residents are moving to less costly areas and those who remain are reluctant to have children.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS