Five NT$10 million prizes remain unclaimed in March-April receipt lottery

Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Five NT$10 million (US$316,456) special prizes and four NT$2 million grand prizes in Taiwan's March-April uniform invoice lottery remained unclaimed as of Monday, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said, giving a reminder of the Sept. 7 deadline for collecting the prize money.

The winning number for the NT$10 million special prize in the March-April lottery was 19531471, which appeared on 20 invoices, the ministry said.

The number for the NT$2 million grand prize was 85941329, and it was on 19 receipts, the MOF added.

The five invoices for the unclaimed NT$10 million special prizes included an NT$200 receipt for the purchase of computer software on Apple's online store and an NT$230 receipt for food at a Three Mom Hot Pot restaurant on Taoying Road in Taoyuan City, according to the MOF.

Two others were for drinks bought at convenience stores -- an NT$45 purchase at a 7-Eleven on Heping West Road in Taoyuan, and NT$39 at a FamilyMart on Huiwen Road in Taichung's Nantun District, the MOF said.

The fifth NT$10 million winning invoice was also issued in Taichung, for an NT$21 drinks purchase at a FamilyMart on Keya Road in the city's Daya District, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, among the four unclaimed NT$2 million grand prizes was a NT$201 receipt for drinks bought at a Le Phare beverage shop on Linsen North Road in Taipei's Zhongshan District, the ministry said.

The others were all for food purchases -- NT$23 at a FamilyMart on Sicun Road in Taichung's Houli District, NT$59 at a 7-Eleven on Minzu Road in Tainan's West Central District, and NT$700 at a farmers' association outlet on Linsen Road in Tainan's East District, the MOF said.

The deadline for claiming the NT$10 million and NT$2 million prizes is Sept. 7, according to the ministry.

The uniform invoice lottery system, which draws winning numbers every two months, was created to encourage consumers to collect sales receipts as part of the ministry's efforts to prevent tax evasion.

The lottery is funded by 3 percent of annual business tax revenues, with the tax built into the prices of most goods and services, according to Taiwan's tax laws and regulations.