The public might be able to receive a tax rebate of NT$6,000 by late next month or early March, National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.
Under the Executive Yuan’s preliminary plan, people would be able to claim the money by providing their account information online, using automated teller machines (ATMs) or collecting it in person at post offices, Kung told a legislative committee meeting.
The Cabinet last week submitted a bill to distribute money to the legislature and is to draw up a special budget after it is approved, he said.
Photo: Lo Pei-te, Taipei Times
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) also submitted its own version of the bill, which the legislature on Monday combined with the Cabinet’s proposal.
The legislature plans to complete its review today.
Getting a special budget for the bill approved by the legislature before the Lunar New Year is unlikely, Kung said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that the administrative procedures for such a budget usually take more than two weeks in countries such as the US and Japan.
KMT Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) blamed the government for the delay, adding that the KMT in the first half of last year proposed distributing the surplus tax revenue.
DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said that the rebates could be issued from Feb. 28.
If the legislature passes the third reading of the special act tomorrow, the Executive Yuan would send the special budget to the legislature on Feb. 9 for review, she said.
The legislature could then review the budget and pass its third reading on Feb. 10 or Feb. 17, she said.
At the same time, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is to begin to create a distribution system, which would enable the money to be given out starting from Feb. 28, she added.
Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳) said that the timeline is feasible based on the government’s experience in issuing cash subsidies to families with young children as part of the COVID-19 relief fund.
The subsidies were provided through the online system first, with the options of collecting them from ATMs or post offices becoming available later, she said.
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