Vouchers worth at least NT$250 (US$7.71) to buy agricultural products from Hualien County are likely to be distributed from July 1, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Friday.
Following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck off the east coast on April 3, the Cabinet has allocated NT$28.55 billion to relief efforts. Of that, NT$183 million has been earmarked for agricultural tourism and revival.
A voucher to purchase agricultural goods or engage in agritourism has already been approved, Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation Deputy Director-General Lin Chang-li (林長立) said on Friday.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
The face value would be at least NT$250, but might increase further, Lin added.
If the value stays at NT$250, an estimated 700,000 vouchers would be issued, he said, adding that it would be compatible with the voucher app previously released by the ministry.
The vouchers could be distributed either through a drawing or pre-registration, to be decided soon, he said.
Consultations with participating businesses are also in progress, but the vouchers could in principle be used to purchase agricultural products from Hualien or participate in agricultural tourism in the county, he added.
More discussions with other government agencies are also needed to confirm timing, but the ministry estimates they could be distributed starting on July 1, Lin added.
In related news, the agency is collaborating with Taipei SOGO department stores to promote local Taiwanese products from May 14 to 21, agency section head Chen Ling-tsen (陳玲岑) said.
Already entering its ninth year, the promotion last year helped sell products worth more than NT$8 million, she said.
This year, 393 products will be on sale originating from around Taiwan, she added.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
RSS