Taiwan Central Bank Raises Interest Rates Again 央行再升息半碼 新房貸利率將創6年新高

Taiwan's mortgage interest rate is expected to reach a 6-year high after the Central Bank raised interest rates for the second time by 0.125 percent. The new monthly payment will increase by around NT$1,000 for every NT$10 million mortgage.

The Taiwan Central Bank raised interest rates by another 0.125 percent on the 16th, as rate hikes have totaled 0.375 percent for two consecutive quarters. The new mortgage interest rate will stand at 1.7 percent, a 6-year high. Families with mortgages are suffering as a result.

Traditional Market Stall Owner: “My son's monthly salary is NT$52,000. He has to pay a monthly mortgage of more than NT$30,000. Do we think that children will be happy? Tell the Central Bank to stop raising interest rates.”

Let's try to calculate the interest on a NT$10 million mortgage. Before the latest interest rate increase, the mortgage rate was 1.5 percent and the monthly principal and interest is NT$34,512. After the Central Bank raised interest rates by 0.25 percent on March 17, the mortgage rate was thought to reach 1.75 percent. However, in May, the rate was only raised to 1.6 percent. Thus, the principal plus interest is only NT$34,994 per month, an increase of NT$482. The second interest rate hike was 0.125 percent. Add this latest hike to the previous mortgage rate and the newest rate is 1.725 percent. The monthly mortgage payment will reach NT$35,602, an increase of NT$608. Mortgage payments for families have increased by more than NT$1,000 per month since March.

Ho Shih-chang, Research Director, My Housing Magazine: “Based on a NT$10 million mortgage, the new monthly payment increases by less than NT$2,000. No one knows how much the interest rate will rise in the second half of this year to next year. So this is a relatively large uncertainty for everyone.”

The Executive Yuan has announced relevant support measures to reduce the burden of certain groups, as rising interest rates will reduce household spending. These include bailout and revitalization loans, youth entrepreneurship, and student loans, all of which will not be affected by interest rate hikes.

Pan Wen-chung, Minister of Education: “The government will subsidize it all. This necessary rise in interest rates shouldn't create a burden on young people's student loan interest.”

Experts believe this rate hike will not affect the economy for the time being. Taiwan's economy is export-oriented so poor exports combined with rising interest rates may affect Taiwan's domestic demand, resulting in an economic slowdown next year.

央行昨（16）日再升息半碼，連續2季累計升息0.375%，新的房貸利率將站上1.7%，創6年新高，房貸族苦不堪言。

傳統市場攤商老闆娘說：「（我兒子月薪）5萬2（千元），他要繳（房貸），3萬多吧，這樣我們會覺得小孩子會快樂嗎？叫他（央行）不要再升息了。」

試算一下，千萬房貸利息，升息前，房貸利率1.5%，每月本利要還3萬4512元。央行3月17日升息1碼後，以為房貸利率會來到1.75%，不過5月房貸利率僅調升到1.6%，本金加利息，每月要還3萬4994元，增加了482元。第2波再升息半碼，若直接累加，房貸利率將來到1.725%，每月還款將來到3萬5602元，每月房貸負擔，將再增加608元。房貸族3月至今，每月房貸負擔增加上千元。

住展雜誌研發長何世昌指出：「貸款1000萬來講，每個月新增加的支出不到2000塊啦，在升息循環裡面大家不曉得，下半年到明年還會升（息）多少，所以這個才是讓大家比較影響性，比較大的一個不確定的因素。」

有鑑於升息，將壓縮家庭支出，行政院也公布相關配套措施，減輕特定族群負擔，包括紓困振興貸款、青年創業，還有學貸，都不受升息影響。

教育部長潘文忠表示：「政府全部來補貼啦，不要因為這個必要的升息，又造成孩子的學貸利息上的負擔。」

學者分析，這次升息幅度暫不影響經濟，但台灣經濟與出口連動，若出口表現差，若再大幅升息，恐影響內需經濟，明年經濟成長力道將放緩。