The Executive Yuan yesterday allowed more Taiwanese to take part in the Sports Points and Culture Points programs, to stimulate domestic spending and develop the sectors.
The voucher programs for sports, culture and Hakka culture were expanded after a performance review, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said.
The Sports Points program would select 600,000 Taiwanese older than 16 through a lottery, she said.
Photo: CNA
They would receive NT$500 (US$15.82) credits to spend on sports events and equipment, she added.
Eligibility for the Culture Points program would be expanded to Taiwanese between the ages of 13 and 22, Lee said, adding that they would receive NT$1,200 credits.
The expanded eligibility would benefit about 2.63 million people, she said.
Minister of Sports Lee Yang (李洋) said the Sports Points program expansion would allow Taiwanese of all ages to participate in the lottery instead of only young people.
The points could be used for gym fees, buying tickets for sports events or athletic equipment purchases, with a spending limit of NT$200 on the last category, he said.
The sports ministry is working with Taipei to organize an event that features the programs, and expects to collaborate with other agencies to promote the scheme, he said.
People interested in participating in the program should submit their names to the ministry from Monday next week to Feb. 8, Lee said.
Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang (王時思) said changes to the Culture Points program would increase the number of eligible Taiwanese to about 2 million, including 814,000 who have received the credits since Jan. 1.
The Hakka Points program rewards NT$1,000 credits to Taiwanese who have Hakka-language proficiency certifications, or those who have received commendations for their achievements in Hakka language and heritage, Hakka Affairs Council Minister Ku Hsiu-Fei (古秀妃) said.
The points are also part of a lottery for Taiwanese aged between 18 and 49, she said.
About NT$100 million of points from the program have been spent, of which more than 70 percent were used in the community of people who received the credits, she said.
About 40 percent of the total points have been spent, Ku said, adding that more program expansions are being mulled.
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