national spending 結果共8筆

Vice President Lai Ching-te and Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim meet with U.S. Representative Jack Bergman to discuss Taiwan-U.S. cooperation in stabilizing the Taiwan Strait. The meeting underscores the significance of the Taiwan Relations Act and recent U.S. initiatives to bolster Taiwan’s national security.

Taiwan’s government confirms budget surplus, prioritizes debt repayment and infrastructure investments. Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen expresses gratitude for joint efforts leading to economic growth. Taiwan’s annual tax revenue exceeds target, reaching NT$367.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, marking the third-highest record. Speculation arises on possible cash rebate as government distributed NT$6,000 to citizens in 2022 surplus. Lin Tze-luen declares government will consider public opinion on surplus utilization. Surplus will be applied with fiscal discipline, focusing on debt repayment and infrastructure investments. Efforts will be made to meet national and individual needs for sustainable development.

Taiwan’s total credit card spending for 2023 is projected to exceed NT＄4 trillion, with consumers under 30 having an average annual credit card transaction amount of NT＄1.11 million, according to the National Credit Card Center (NCCC). Individuals aged 40 to 60, who make up over 57% of top-level consumers, are crucial customers for card-issuing institutions. These elite spenders have an average half-year spending of NT＄810,000, with women mainly using their credit cards for fashion and luxury items, while men prefer motor vehicle products. Consumers under 40 have a high consumption frequency, averaging over 180 transactions per card in the first half of 2023. Taipei and New Taipei have the highest number of cardholders, accounting for 46% of the total, with Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City having the largest share among the 16 counties and cities at over 6%. VISA cards are the most commonly used credit card brand among elite spenders, comprising 51% of the total, while American Express cards make up only 3% but have the highest average consumption of over NT＄1.3 million per card in six months.

President Tsai Ing-wen expresses gratitude to lawmakers for passing the central government’s record-high budget for 2024, highlighting achievements in salary increases, tax cuts, and welfare improvements. The budget prioritizes social welfare, with a significant increase in long-term care funding. Education, science, and culture spending also receive attention, including a plan to reduce private university tuition fees. The national defense budget reaches a historic high, and efforts towards achieving ’net-zero emissions by 2050’ are emphasized. The administration has successfully reduced debt and improved fiscal discipline, with the debt repayment next year reaching a 23-year high. Taiwan’s overall economic scale has grown under President Tsai’s leadership, with GDP expected to exceed NT＄23 trillion this year.

Nearly 60% of Taiwanese people support increasing the national defense budget to 3% of GDP, according to a survey released by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR). The survey, conducted by the National Chengchi University Election Study Center, gathered 1,214 complete responses from November 12 to November 13. Around 9% of respondents believe the current defense budget is very insufficient, while 46% consider it to be insufficient, totaling approximately 55% who think the defense spending needs a boost. Additionally, nearly 60% of the full sample expressed approval for cutting other government expenditures to raise the defense budget, while around 41% would favor paying more taxes to achieve a defense budget constituting 3% of GDP.

Taiwan’s Social Protection Expenditure (SPE) for 2022 has reached a new high of NT$2.5342 trillion, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). This represents a 4.9% growth rate and an increase of NT$118.1 billion compared to the previous year. The DGBAS attributes the significant growth to factors such as increased costs related to COVID-19 vaccine procurement and vaccination efforts, higher National Health Insurance payments, and increased funding for childcare allowances and educational subsidies. Social security spending in Taiwan aims to mitigate risks or burdens associated with aging, disabilities, survivors, sickness and healthcare, childbirth, family and children, unemployment, occupational injuries, and housing, following the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen addressed criticism about her government’s spending and accusations of burdening future generations with debt. She claimed to be the best debt-repaying president and announced that her administration had repaid over NT$800 billion of debt. Tsai highlighted the increases in national spending under her leadership, including a significant hike in the national defense budget to NT$600 billion and a raise in the budget for elderly care from NT$5 billion to NT$80 billion. She also mentioned the expansion of the national child-rearing policy and the progress of the indigenous defense aircraft program. Tsai viewed the construction of a prototype submarine as a milestone that strengthens the island’s defensive capabilities.

Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih has unveiled his ＂Five Arrows＂ healthcare policy, which includes increasing healthcare spending to 8% of GDP, improving care for children and mothers, launching a national mental health plan, advancing prevention for high-risk cancers, and ensuring transparency in vaccine and pharmaceutical purchases.