Ministry introduces vouchers for Hualien agricultural products

Taipei, May 10 (CNA) The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) will issue vouchers that can be used to purchase agricultural products from Hualien County as part of the government's post-quake recovery effort following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Taiwan on April 3, the MOA said Friday.

More than 700,000 vouchers will be issued on July 1 in a bid to boost Hualien's agricultural sales and revitalize the quake-battered local economy, said Lin Chang-li (林長立), deputy director general of the MOA's Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation.

Lin told reporters that each voucher will be worth NT$250 (US$7.71), but this amount may be increased.

He said NT$183 million will be allocated from the government-run Rural Rejuvenation Fund to finance the vouchers. It is possible the funding will be raised, he added, without giving any further details.

According to Lin, an app will be introduced for people to access the vouchers. Regarding who will be eligible, it is still being discussed whether the vouchers will be distributed through a lottery system, he said.