Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Residents in Taiwan aged 16 to 22 will be eligible to claim NT$1,200 (US$38.85) in cash handouts, known as Culture Points, from Jan. 20, 2024, to spend on cultural activities or at related venues, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) said Wednesday.
The program, which was launched in June to encourage more young adults to take part in cultural activities and thereby boost Taiwan’s cultural and creative sectors, was originally only open to 18-21-year-olds.
In a press release Wednesday, the MOC said that in the upcoming round of handouts, eligibility will be expanded to people aged 16-22, bringing the number of recipients from around 1 million to 1.5 million.
From Jan. 20, citizens of Taiwan and foreign nationals holding alien resident certificates (ARCs) who were born between Jan. 1, 2002, and Dec. 31, 2008, will be able to claim the handouts digitally through a MOC app, the ministry said.
The points, each equivalent to NT$1, can be used at designated independent bookstores, record stores, music stores, live music events and venues, cultural parks, bazaars, and screenings of Taiwanese films.
As part of the program, shoppers at independent bookstores will receive one reward point for each two points they use, while buyers of youth tickets for performing arts events, or tickets for Taiwanese films, will receive 100 reward points, the ministry said.
