Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) yesterday approved a proposal to distribute a once-off NT$6,000 (US$192) cash payment to city residents as part of efforts to boost local consumption, the city government said.
The plan, which is today to be submitted to the Chiayi City Council for review, is estimated to cost about NT$1.6 billion and would benefit about 260,000 residents, the city government said, adding that only residents with a Taiwanese identification card and a household registration in Chiayi City would be eligible.
The measure is intended to stimulate the local economy without increasing the city’s debt burden, Huang said in a statement.
Photo courtesy of Chiayi City Government
Chiayi has not taken on new debt for 15 consecutive years and has maintained zero public debt for the past seven years, she said.
The proposed cash handout would be financed through accumulated budget surpluses and would not affect ongoing public construction projects, Huang said.
A previous NT$2,000 cash handout issued by the city helped drive a 9.56 percent year-on-year increase in local business sales, she said.
In addition to the cash handout, the city government is proposing several stimulus measures, including plans to revitalize commercial districts and night markets, subsidies to attract independent travelers and initiatives to promote sustainable living, the mayor said.
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