People left homeless following a massive earthquake on April 3 are to receive NT$32,000 per month for a two-bed hotel room or NT$44,000 for a four-person room, the Tourism Administration and National Land Management Agency said yesterday.
The policy is expected to be in effect for three months, the agencies said in a statement, adding that the list of hotels and resorts would be vetted by the Hualien County Government.
The Tourism Administration said that more than 125 hotels and hostels were willing to provide nearly 1,200 rooms for the initiative.
Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
The administration said it forwarded the list to the Hualien County Government on Friday last week and hopes to soon receive notice of a finalized number of rooms.
The list of hotels and resorts would be made available as soon as possible to provide short-term placement for those displaced by the earthquake, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale, it added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the Czech Republic for its pledge to donate US$150,000 to help with earthquake relief efforts.
The ministry expressed its gratitude on behalf of the government and Taiwanese after the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the pledge on X earlier in the day.
“In early April, Taiwan was hit by the strongest earthquake in 25 years. It caused widespread damage to property, killing 18 people,” the Czech ministry wrote. “Czechia helps, where it is needed. Which is why we are sending 150 000 US dollars to Taiwan to help with the relief efforts.”
The Central European country and Taiwan have been like-minded partners and have repeatedly extended each other a helping hand when needed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taipei donated 1.35 million medical masks to the Czech Republic, while in return, Prague donated 30,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, the statement said.
The Czech Republic has joined Japan, Lithuania, South Korea and Thailand in pledging donations to help with post-earthquake relief and reconstruction.
The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million). It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players. Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters. The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines,
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Five customers who made purchases at 7-Eleven stores across Taiwan won the top NT$10 million (US$313,716) special prize in the July-August uniform invoice lottery, including one who spent just NT$27 on photocopying, the convenience store chain said today. The five special prize winners made their purchases at stores in Taoyuan, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, 7-Eleven operator President Chain Store Corp said. The five winning purchases included NT$29 spent on snacks at a store in Taoyuan's Zhongli District (中壢), NT$27 on photocopying at a store in Taipei's Zhongzheng District (中正), NT$139 on City Cafe coffee and daily necessities at a store in Taipei's
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