MIAOLI (TVBS News) — Miaoli County's Tongxiao Township (通霄鎮) approved a new childbirth subsidy policy on Wednesday (Sept. 25), offering NT$90,000 per newborn starting next year. Combined with the NT$20,000 subsidy from the Miaoli County Government, each newborn in Tongxiao will receive NT$110,000, the highest in the county.
Mou Tsung-han (繆宗翰), a local representative from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), expressed mixed views on the policy's effectiveness in encouraging young people to have children.
In an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA, 中央社), he stated that subsidizing local school fees and kindergarten monthly fees would better support residents and prevent misuse by those who only register their household here.
According to Mou, the subsidy will be distributed in three stages: NT$30,000 at birth, NT$30,000 at one year old, and NT$30,000 at three years old.
The proposal initially required recipients to register in Tongxiao for three months, but the requirement was extended to one year to prevent abuse.