The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft amendment to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) that seeks to extend a tax incentive program for energy-efficient household appliances until 2027.
Under the program, consumers can receive a tax reduction of up to NT$2,000 (US$62.47) when purchasing new refrigerators, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers.
The appliances must meet Level 1 or 2 of the energy-saving standards specified under the Bureau of Energy’s energy-efficiency rating program.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
If passed by the Legislature Yuan, the tax rebate program, which is set to expire on June 14 would be extended until Dec. 31, 2027.
As of the end of March, the government had offered rebates of about NT$21.1 billion on 12.71 million units of household appliances since the measure was adopted in June 2019, the Ministry of Finance said.
Meanwhile, an additional provision has also been included in the draft amendment authorizing the Executive Yuan to seek another extension of up to two years after 2027, it said.
The purpose is to allow for rolling reviews of the policy’s effectiveness to ensure the efficient use of government resources, it said.
Citing Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said during a news conference that encouraging consumers to buy energy-saving home appliances could help advance the government’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Cho also urged that the finance ministry and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to communicate and coordinate with the Legislative Yuan so that the amendment could be passed as soon as possible to ensure a continuation of the program, Lee said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
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The Taipei MRT is to begin accepting mobile payment services in the fall, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said on Saturday. When the company finishes the installation of new payment units at ticketing gates in October, MRT passengers can use credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said. In addition, the MRT would also provide QR payment codes — which would be compatible with Line Pay, Jkopay, iPass Money, PXPay Plus, EasyWallet, iCash Pay, Taiwan Pay and Taishin Pay — to access the railway system. Currently, passengers can access the Taipei MRT by buying a single-journey token or using EasyCard,
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