Cash Handout Might Be Delayed Until April: Ker 朝野分歧 柯建銘:可能拖到4月才能發現金

The KMT is advocating a universal handout of NT$10,000 but DPP Legislator Ker Chien-ming said there is no hope that the review can be concluded by Jan. 19. This means that people will not receive the handout until April.

KMT legislators held red envelopes and signs as they called for a universal cash handout of NT$10,000 during a legislative review of the special regulations for the upcoming cash handout. They said this can be achieved without loans.

William Tseng, Legislator (KMT): “The excess part, that part that exceeds the NT$140 billion annual budget, can be borrowed from the Ministry of Finance and state treasury through short-term dispatching. The treasury will be repaid on Aug. 1, so there won't be any financial issues.”

National Development Minister Kung Ming-hsin said when people will receive the handout will depend on when the special regulations on the handout are passed by the legislature. The parent law has to be passed before ministries can start budget preparations based on the parent law. Different political parties have submitted different versions. DPP Legislator Ker Chien-ming said it's impossible for a third reading to be completed by Jan. 19 and said the whole issue may drag on until April.

Ker Chien-ming, Legislator (DPP): “Everyone has opinions on the budget, so it has to be reviewed by committees. Once it's reviewed, it will go out of the committees and to a full vote in one month. Under this timetable, the earliest is about April. It has to go through this process.”

There will be three ways to receive the cash. People can apply online to have the money directly deposited into their bank accounts. They can also withdraw cash through an ATM or apply at a post office. Digital Affairs Minister Audrey Tang said the system will go online on Feb. 28 but when the money will actually reach the hands of the people will depend on the budget timetable.

Audrey Tang, Digital Affairs Minister: “The instructions that we received said that the testing of the system needs to be completed by the end of February. The actual handout schedule will depend on the budget schedule.”

Ker went back and forth between party caucuses during the meeting. He said ruling and opposition parties will never reach a consensus, but the regulations will be sent to committees for review once each party has its say.

國民黨立委們拿著紅包袋和看板，強力主張普發現金1萬元，而且不用舉債。

國民黨立委曾銘宗說道：「超過的部分，超過1400億歲計剩餘的部分，請財政部與國庫借，短期調度的方式，8月1日就償還這國庫借的，財務上絕對沒有問題。」

全民究竟何時能夠領到，國發會主委龔明鑫表示，這要看特別條例能否順利通過，因為母法通過後，各部會才可以依據母法展開預算籌編，不過朝野各版本意見分歧，民進黨團總召柯建銘表示，19日要三讀是天方夜譚，也可能會拖到4月。

民進黨團總召柯建銘表示：「不可能大家對預算沒有意見，一定要付委審查，審查以後再出委員會1個月以後表決，這樣的時程最快算起來4月了，這樣的時程，可以預見的時程，一定會走到這樣的途徑。」

至於未來普發現金的領取方式將有3種，包括線上申請直接入帳、ATM領取鈔票，以及郵局臨櫃申請。數位發展部長唐鳳表示，2月28日系統就能就位，但實際發放時程仍要按照預算時程而定。

數位發展部長唐鳳提及：「我們接到的指示是說這樣，2月底的時候把這些全部測試完成，所以是可以發放的。當然實際發放的時程，要看預算的時程而定。」

柯建銘在會議中穿梭各黨團討論，直言朝野絕對不會有共識，既然沒有共識，各黨講完主張後，就會將特別條例保留送出委員會進行協商。