A number of new regulations are taking effect this month, including milk subsidy programs for children in some administrative regions, as well as changes in drug prices.
The Taipei City Government is launching a milk subsidy program for public elementary schools and kindergartens starting this month to provide students with one bottle of milk per week.
Students can use their ID cards to pick up a bottle of fresh milk or soy milk at convenience stores.
Photo: CNA
The program is to start with a one week trial from Monday next week and officially launch on April 14.
Chunghua County also raised NT$80 million (US$2.41 million) for a similar program to provide junior-high, elementary and kindergarten students with milk once per week starting this month.
New medication pricing is to take effect today, with the prices of 3,150 medications decreasing and 34 increasing, the National Health Insurance Administration said.
That would save an estimated NT$4.85 billion in drug expenditures annually, it added.
The Taiwan branch of Haleon, a British healthcare company, said that starting this month, the suggested retail prices of all its Panadol cold and flu medications would increase by 5 percent to 6.5 percent, raising prices per box by NT$9 to NT$30.
Affected products include Panadol cold and flu extra strength, day and night, cough relief and nasal relief medications, as well as cold and flu hot drink packets.
Other changes include the increase in benefits and allowances for volunteer soldiers in service and combat units, which are to start today.
Taiwan High Speed Rail also said it is canceling the 5 percent discount on meals offered to TGo members, and that the price of boxed meals is to increase by NT$10 starting tomorrow, rising from NT$110 to NT$120, due to the rising cost of ingredients.
Meanwhile, Costco said it would begin requiring people to scan their membership cards at the store’s entrance and limit guests to two.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS