Chiayi City to submit NT$6,000 cash handout plan for council review

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) on Monday approved a proposal to distribute a one-off NT$6,000 (US$192) cash payment to city residents as part of efforts to boost local consumption, according to the city government.

The plan, which will be submitted to the Chiayi City Council for review on Tuesday, is estimated to cost about NT$1.6 billion and benefit around 260,000 residents, the city government said. Only residents with a Taiwan ID card and a household registration in Chiayi City will be eligible.

Huang said in a statement that the measure is intended to stimulate the local economy without increasing the city's debt burden.

Chiayi has not taken on new debt for 15 consecutive years and has maintained zero public debt for the past seven years, she said.

Huang said the proposed cash handout will be financed through accumulated budget surpluses and will not impact ongoing public construction projects.

She noted that 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.

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.