At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai was briefed by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on the government's plan to issue a one-off cash payment of NT$10,000 (approximately US$315) to each citizen and eligible person, enabling everyone to share in Taiwan's AI-driven economic growth. The cash payment, planned for 2027, will be made while maintaining strict fiscal discipline and keeping government revenues and expenditures balanced.
Premier Cho said that Taiwan's strengths in AI, semiconductors and high-performance computing, coupled with the concerted efforts of all its people, are expected to propel economic growth to 11.05% in 2026, a 39-year high, and bolster tax revenues. Grounded in fiscal soundness, the central government's 2027 general budget proposal addresses national security, economic development and people's well-being, including support for disadvantaged groups and pay adjustments for military personnel, civil servants and public school teachers.
The NT$10,000 per-person payment will be funded by a NT$235.7 billion (approx. US$7.4 billion) allocation from the general budget and will adhere strictly to the principles of balanced budgeting and fiscal discipline, without requiring additional borrowing or diverting funds from other important policy priorities.
The premier said the payment process can only commence after the central government's 2027 general budget proposal is passed by the Legislative Yuan. Based on the MOF's current planning, if the general budget proposal clears its third and final reading in the Legislature by January 5 and is promulgated by the president by January 20, the distribution of payments is expected to begin as early as before the 2027 Lunar New Year holiday.