Taiwan Premier, Su Tseng-chang has announced that the Taiwan government is planning to give cash payouts of nearly $200 to every citizen this year.
He said the island’s economic growth will be shared by everyone.
Reuters reports that the export-reliant economy, a global tech powerhouse for products including semiconductor chips, grew 6.45 percent in 2021, the fastest rate since it expanded 10.25 percent in 2010.
The government has made plans to plough an extra T$380 billion ($12.4bn) in tax revenue from last year back into the economy to help protect the island from global economic shocks, including subsidies for electricity prices and labour and health insurance, while economic growth is expected to slow in 2023.
“The fruit of economic achievements will be shared by all citizens, from young to old,” Su told reporters on Wednesday, adding the potential payout requires approval from parliament, where the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has a majority.
“We wish to give all citizens a New Year blessing after the beginning of the Lunar New Year,” Su told reporters, referring to the week-long holiday that starts on January 20.
Taiwan is said to be a major producer of semiconductors used in everything from cars and smartphones to fighter jets. Its economy continued to grow stably during the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years helped by strong chip demand for consumer electronics as more people worked from home.
Taiwan’s central bank in December cut its 2022 estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 2.91 percent from its previous forecast of 3.51 percent in September.
For 2023, it projected GDP would grow by 2.53 percent. The economy grew 4.01 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier.
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