Permanent residents, foreign spouses to get NT$10,000 handouts

Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) Foreign nationals with permanent residency and foreign residents married to Taiwanese nationals will be eligible for NT$10,000 cash handouts from the government, the Cabinet said Thursday.

At a news briefing in Taipei, National Treasury Administration head Chen Po-cheng (陳柏誠) said the eligibility rules for the planned NT$10,000 (US$329) handouts were largely the same as for the NT$6,000 cash payment distributed in 2023.

● Taiwan's permanent foreign residents eligible for NT$10,000 cash handouts: Premier

As a result, in addition to Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents, foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits, and stateless residents will also qualify for the handouts, Chen said.

The cash handout program is part of a NT$570 billion special package designed to provide financial assistance to businesses and individuals affected by U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese exports, while also strengthening Taiwan's defense infrastructure and Coast Guard.

Following the recent passage of a special act authorizing those measures, the Cabinet on Thursday approved a related special budget bill, which also requires legislative approval before the government can actually access the NT$570 billion in funding.

The cash handouts, expected to be distributed around a month after the proposed special budget is passed by the Legislature and signed into law by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), are estimated to cost a total of NT$236 billion, according to the Ministry of Finance.

The entire NT$570 billion package will be funded through surplus revenues and borrowing, the ministry added.