TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Ku Hsiu-fei (古秀妃), chairperson of the Hakka Affairs Council (客委會) addressed concerns and future plans on Wednesday (Oct. 15) over the Hakka token, a digital token launched earlier this year that allows people to purchase goods from certain Hakka stores, during a meeting in the Legislative Yuan (立法院). The Hakka Affairs Council plans to implement the next phase by the end of next year, aiming for full usage in 2027.
The council has distributed over 280,000 Hakka tokens, usable at partner stores in key Hakka cultural development areas. However, more than 700 citizens reported issues with usage due to incomplete registration steps. At the Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee (內政委員會), Ku said they will enhance the website design to address these concerns.
Many legislators have also proposed expanding the Hakka token's applicability beyond these zones, prompting further discussions within the council. However, Ku added that budget constraints challenge the council, with this year's budget set at approximately NT$4.1 billion and next year's at NT$3.5 billion. She said that allocating over NT$200 million of the council's budget to the Hakka token project has already stretched resources.
Ku emphasized that the coin's primary goal is to increase the use of the Hakka language in stores. A recent survey revealed that only about 40% of participating store owners actively spoke Hakka to customers two months after the Hakka token's launch. The council's target is for this to reach 100%, but Ku noted that achieving this linguistic engagement might require a year of awareness and language training with store owners.
