The Executive Yuan is still reviewing a proposal to expand eligibility for families to hire foreign domestic helpers and is expected to announce details of the policy and related support measures as soon as the end of the year, an official said today.
In September, President William Lai (賴清德) pledged to allow all families with one child under age 12 to apply to hire foreign domestic helpers.
The current regulations state that families with three children under six, or four children of whom two are under six, can apply.
Photo: Taipei Times
Under the Employment Service Act (就業服務法), families who hire foreign domestic helpers must pay an employment stabilization fee of NT$5,000 per month.
The Cabinet is considering raising to NT$8,000 under the new policy to control demand and ensure adequate helpers are available.
To hire foreign domestic caregivers to care for the sick and the elderly, families must pay an employment stabilization fee of NT$2,000 per month.
The Cabinet first finalized plans to allow the hospitality sector and ports to hire intermediate-skilled migrant workers, provided they increase the monthly salary of their lowest-paid domestic worker by NT$2,000 for every foreign hire, starting next year.
The policy was announced on Thursday last week, without including any details of the upcoming changes to the foreign domestic helper policy.
As Lai's proposal is more complicated, officials today said that the government wishes to first complete consultations before announcing any details.
As Lai’s proposal attracted criticism, the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Cabinet have been in discussions with various organizations and held multiple meetings to explore policy directions, the unnamed official said.
There are currently 850,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, of whom 220,000 held social welfare-related jobs, with 2,000 hired as domestic helpers, labor ministry statistics showed.
Most of the remaining 218,000 are employed as domestic caregivers caring for the sick and elderly.
The new policy must not undermine Taiwan’s long-term childcare support system and should be categorized as a labor policy, not a social welfare policy, the official said.
It must also ensure that adequate helpers are available for children with rare diseases who are most in need and may be disadvantaged by the new policy, they said.
Other issues under review include whether stay-at-home parents could also apply, or whether families must first prove that both parents are working full-time, and whether grandparents or elderly family members in the home would affect eligibility, they added.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
RSS