At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a Ministry of Education briefing on a program to distribute sports vouchers to young people to spend on athletics-related activities. The premier said the government plans to distribute the NT$500 (US$16) youth sports vouchers in June to individuals aged 16 to 22. The vouchers are projected to benefit 1.65 million young people, as well as almost 3,000 companies in the sports industry.
The premier said the youth sports vouchers will be usable for athletic activities and attending sporting events. He hopes the program will help foster regular exercise habits and enjoyment of sports, creating a positive feedback loop of athletics spending and bolstering the vitality of Taiwan's sports industry.
Premier Chen said that the government has adopted a number of measures to care for young people in the post-pandemic era. In addition to a one-off cash payment for every person of NT$6,000 (US$198) and the sports vouchers, young people aged 18 to 21 are also eligible to receive a coming-of-age gift voucher of NT$1,200 (US$40) to spend on cultural goods and activities.
The premier emphasized that the government's post-pandemic special budget includes NT$22 billion (US$724 million) of funding for a post-pandemic student loan subsidy plan, which will cover one year of tuition loan repayments, including principal and interest. He also stated that the minimum application age for a central government NT$30 billion (US$988 million) expanded rent subsidy program has been lowered to 18 years old, and university students are now eligible to apply. The government is also investing more than NT$4.5 billion (US$148 million) to improve dormitory accommodations on school campuses to provide students with a more comfortable living environment.