President Tsai Ing-wen (front, third left) joins officials, supervisors and workers from Green World Hotels in displaying cards that highlight a Ministry of Labor training plan April 16 in Taipei City’s Nangang District. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

President Tsai Ing-wen said April 16 that the government is committed to assisting the country’s workers while mitigating the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, spotlighting her administration’s efforts to protect the public’s financial well-being.
 
The Ministry of Labor has undertaken a number of measures to help workers affected by the outbreak, Tsai said, citing a plan announced Feb. 21 to allow a 120-hour training subsidy up to NT$18,960 (US$631) per month for those whose working time and salary are cut. Employers conducting training courses under the initiative will receive reimbursement up to NT$3.5 million from the government, she added.
 
Further announcements including handouts of NT$10,000 per month for one million self-employed workers and the creation of 10,000 part-time job opportunities were released by the MOL April 2 and 13, respectively.
 
Tsai said this comprehensive response is part of government plans to assist hard-hit sectors like the tourism industry. She also expressed confidence in a rapid recovery, as Taiwan has been relatively successful limiting the spread of coronavirus.
 
The president made the remarks during a visit to a branch of Green World Hotels in Taipei City’s Nangang District.
 
According to Tsai, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced a plan to safeguard jobs earlier this month wherein the government will pay 40 percent of a company’s payroll for April to June if it experiences a more than 50 percent loss in sales.
 
The MOEA is also working on a consumption stimulus to be implemented once new coronavirus cases level off, Tsai said, adding that this may take the form of a coupon offering 25 percent cashback when using mobile payments. (YCH-E)