《TAIPEI TIMES》 Upfront fee for vouchers might be done away with

By Lee Hsin-fang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Executive Yuan yesterday signaled that it might do away with an upfront payment in its planned quintuple stimulus voucher program, as differentiating between who would qualify to have the NT$1,000 buy-in waived might cost too much to administer.

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Last year’s Triple Stimulus Voucher program had a provision for groups, including low-income families, to receive the NT$3,000 in vouchers without paying the NT$1,000, Executive Yuan spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng （羅秉成） said, adding that similar measures are planned for this year’s program, with those who received COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to benefit.

If the government were to waive the fee for those who received relief funds as well as groups — such as farmers, fishers, taxi drivers, tour guides, self-employed individuals and uninsured workers — who received government subsidies, almost half of Taiwan would be eligible not to pay the buy-in, Lo said.

Premier Su Tseng-chang （蘇貞昌） said that a situation in which half of the nation is paying to enter while the other half is not might create social conflict.

Moreover, determining who is eligible to have the fee waived becomes more complicated with each condition, leading to enormous administrative costs, Su said.

With the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics estimating that GDP growth this year might reach 5.88 percent, the government might be in a position to absorb the loss if the upfront payment of NT$1,000 is waived for the entire nation, Su said, adding that agencies have been asked to assess whether such a move is feasible.

The Executive Yuan announced the possible change after Democratic Progressive Party legislators over the past few days called for the government to waive the upfront payments.

Last year, an upfront payment of NT$1,000 was exchanged for NT$3,000 of vouchers.

The quintuple stimulus voucher program plan is for NT$5,000 of vouchers.

Additional reporting by CNA

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES