Premier Cho: NT$5,000 Monthly for Ages 0-18, Set to Start in 2027
Premier Cho Jung-tai announced on May 20th that the government has decided to provide a 'growth allowance' of NT$5,000 per person per month for individuals aged 0 to 18, with implementation planned for next year (2027). This follows President Lai Ching-te's remarks on the second anniversary of his administration, with an estimated annual budget of NT$200 billion. Premier Cho also attended the breakthrough ceremony for a tunnel section of the Shimen Reservoir-Hsinchu water pipeline, stressing the importance of a stable water supply for Taiwan's high-tech industry.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 18:07
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 18:31 (24 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 20, 2026 at 18:45 (13 min after Collected)
Premier Cho Jung-tai said today that the government has decided to provide a growth allowance for those aged 0 to 18 of NT$5,000 per person per month, expected to be implemented next year. "The government has 18 countermeasures for the declining birth rate; this is just one of them. The rest will be announced after they are finalized."
President Lai Ching-te delivered a speech today on the second anniversary of his administration, stating that to address the problem of a low birth rate, the government has decided to provide a growth allowance of NT$5,000 per month to individuals aged 0 to 18. The budget is estimated at about NT$200 billion a year, which Taiwan can afford without crowding out other budgets.
Attending the breakthrough ceremony for the tunnel section of the "Shimen Reservoir to Hsinchu Connecting Pipe Project" this morning, Premier Cho stated that the Executive Yuan has been planning a strategy to address the declining birth rate. A draft is already in place for a "New Strategy for Taiwan's Population," which will be divided into three stages—birth, child-rearing, and education—across five aspects and 18 strategies.
Premier Cho said that the President announced today that once the strategy is fully developed, "starting next year, the government will have the ability to give a NT$5,000 monthly growth allowance to people aged 0 to 18."
He explained that for the 0 to 6 age group, the NT$5,000 per month should allow parents to take good care of their children. For those aged 6 to 18, he hopes parents will put half of the NT$5,000 into a "future fund" for adolescents, so that when a child turns 18, they will have a basic growth fund of NT$360,000. This would allow young people to avoid worrying about student loans or could serve as their first pot of gold for starting a business.
Premier Cho stated that the government has 18 countermeasures, and this is just one of them. The rest will be announced to the public as soon as next week, after they are fully formulated.
The tunnel connection section of the "Shimen Reservoir to Hsinchu Connecting Pipe Project" was completed today. Premier Cho was deeply moved after watching a live video of the "miners" breaking through the tunnel. He then greeted these unsung heroes at the entrance, shaking hands and taking photos with them one by one. The 3.4-kilometer tunnel, which took two years to break through, was a difficult construction project as it had to cross the Shimen Fault.
In addition to a video about the hardships of the construction workers, today's event also featured live footage of machinery breaking through the tunnel's exit section.
In his speech, Premier Cho stated, "The Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli Great Silicon Valley is a place that absolutely cannot lack water or electricity." After today's engineering breakthrough, Taiwan's development will have a greater impetus on this foundation.
He mentioned that today's project stems from the "Pearl Necklace Project" proposed by the Water Resources Agency. A string of pearls can maintain the order of Taiwan's water supply, and "Taiwan must also have a strong national defense force to protect this string of pearls and water pipes."
Premier Cho said the government's duty is to use greater force to stabilize the people and industries, but it must also have sufficient strength to protect the people, industries, and every major project. In the future, whether for businesses or for the public, completing national infrastructure will be the top priority.
He expressed hope that all parties, both in government and opposition, can honestly face the problems of national development today and move forward together by abandoning all prejudices. "The challenges from the outside are very great, and the ruling and opposition parties must cooperate. There is only one country, and Taiwan is our own."
Premier Cho also mentioned that the second phase of the Hsinchu Science Park is a crucial project for the future expansion of the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli Great Silicon Valley, shouldering Taiwan's important responsibility to the global high-tech industry. He stressed that the central and local governments must fully cooperate to smoothly launch the second-phase expansion.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is promoting the "Shimen Reservoir to Hsinchu Connecting Pipe Project." The pipeline is about 25 kilometers long and is being constructed in three sections: a tunnel connection section, a road-buried section, and a river-crossing discharge section. The total cost is about NT$10.3 billion. The goal is to complete the project and begin water delivery by the end of 2028, which will increase the capacity to transfer up to 300,000 tons of water daily from Taoyuan to support Hsinchu's water needs.
President Lai Ching-te delivered a speech today on the second anniversary of his administration, stating that to address the problem of a low birth rate, the government has decided to provide a growth allowance of NT$5,000 per month to individuals aged 0 to 18. The budget is estimated at about NT$200 billion a year, which Taiwan can afford without crowding out other budgets.
Attending the breakthrough ceremony for the tunnel section of the "Shimen Reservoir to Hsinchu Connecting Pipe Project" this morning, Premier Cho stated that the Executive Yuan has been planning a strategy to address the declining birth rate. A draft is already in place for a "New Strategy for Taiwan's Population," which will be divided into three stages—birth, child-rearing, and education—across five aspects and 18 strategies.
Premier Cho said that the President announced today that once the strategy is fully developed, "starting next year, the government will have the ability to give a NT$5,000 monthly growth allowance to people aged 0 to 18."
He explained that for the 0 to 6 age group, the NT$5,000 per month should allow parents to take good care of their children. For those aged 6 to 18, he hopes parents will put half of the NT$5,000 into a "future fund" for adolescents, so that when a child turns 18, they will have a basic growth fund of NT$360,000. This would allow young people to avoid worrying about student loans or could serve as their first pot of gold for starting a business.
Premier Cho stated that the government has 18 countermeasures, and this is just one of them. The rest will be announced to the public as soon as next week, after they are fully formulated.
The tunnel connection section of the "Shimen Reservoir to Hsinchu Connecting Pipe Project" was completed today. Premier Cho was deeply moved after watching a live video of the "miners" breaking through the tunnel. He then greeted these unsung heroes at the entrance, shaking hands and taking photos with them one by one. The 3.4-kilometer tunnel, which took two years to break through, was a difficult construction project as it had to cross the Shimen Fault.
In addition to a video about the hardships of the construction workers, today's event also featured live footage of machinery breaking through the tunnel's exit section.
In his speech, Premier Cho stated, "The Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli Great Silicon Valley is a place that absolutely cannot lack water or electricity." After today's engineering breakthrough, Taiwan's development will have a greater impetus on this foundation.
He mentioned that today's project stems from the "Pearl Necklace Project" proposed by the Water Resources Agency. A string of pearls can maintain the order of Taiwan's water supply, and "Taiwan must also have a strong national defense force to protect this string of pearls and water pipes."
Premier Cho said the government's duty is to use greater force to stabilize the people and industries, but it must also have sufficient strength to protect the people, industries, and every major project. In the future, whether for businesses or for the public, completing national infrastructure will be the top priority.
He expressed hope that all parties, both in government and opposition, can honestly face the problems of national development today and move forward together by abandoning all prejudices. "The challenges from the outside are very great, and the ruling and opposition parties must cooperate. There is only one country, and Taiwan is our own."
Premier Cho also mentioned that the second phase of the Hsinchu Science Park is a crucial project for the future expansion of the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli Great Silicon Valley, shouldering Taiwan's important responsibility to the global high-tech industry. He stressed that the central and local governments must fully cooperate to smoothly launch the second-phase expansion.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is promoting the "Shimen Reservoir to Hsinchu Connecting Pipe Project." The pipeline is about 25 kilometers long and is being constructed in three sections: a tunnel connection section, a road-buried section, and a river-crossing discharge section. The total cost is about NT$10.3 billion. The goal is to complete the project and begin water delivery by the end of 2028, which will increase the capacity to transfer up to 300,000 tons of water daily from Taoyuan to support Hsinchu's water needs.