A government initiative to help boost Taiwan’s cultural and creative sector was launched yesterday, expanding the age at which citizens and eligible foreign residents would qualify for a voucher program that was introduced last year.
Starting yesterday, Taiwanese citizens and eligible foreign nationals, aged 16 to 22, could claim the digital vouchers, valued at NT$1,200, to spend on cultural activities, Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲) said at a news conference in Taipei.
When the vouchers were first introduced last year to provide an economic stimulus to the cultural and creative sectors, they were offered to eligible residents aged 18 to 21, and about 80 percent in that category claimed the “culture points,” as the vouchers are called, he said.
Photo: CNA
In light of the enthusiastic response last year, the Cabinet decided to issue the vouchers annually and to expand the age eligibility to aged from 16 to 22, he said.
This year, the government has marked NT$2 billion (US$63.61 million) for the culture vouchers, which are expected to be claimed by about 1.6 million young people, he said.
To make the system more efficient, the government has teamed up with electronic payment service providers Pxpay Plus, Pluspay and icash Pay, which would allow use of the “culture points” as a form of payment, Shih said.
At the news conference, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) encouraged young people to use the vouchers to explore Taiwan’s culture, which he said is the “soul” of the nation and helps shape national identity.
Culture Points could be used to pay for tickets or merchandise at museums, live music venues, art galleries, movie theaters and other cultural sites until Dec. 31, the culture ministry said.
The digital vouchers, which can only be downloaded on mobile phones via the culture ministry’s app, are available to Taiwanese nationals and foreign residents born between Jan. 1, 2002 and Dec. 31, 2008, the ministry said.
Eligible foreign residents are those who hold an Alien Resident Certificate or Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, including those from China, Hong Kong and Macau, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, eligible young people who have yet to claim last year’s “culture points” can still do so, which are eligible until June 30, the ministry said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese