Buddhist nun and Hsuan Chuang University religion and culture professor the Venerable Shih Chao-hwei (釋昭慧) recently launched a campaign advocating for an option to opt out of the government’s NT$10,000 (US$310) universal cash handout. The Cabinet stated Tuesday that as adding such an option would increase the risk of personal information being misused, they have decided to maintain existing payment channels. 

According to the Finance Ministry, universal cash payment channels include direct deposit, registered deposit, ATM withdrawal, postal withdrawal, and distribution through a roster. In response to Shih’s campaign, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) looked into the feasibility of adding the ability to opt out. However, legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties were against the idea.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) called it a superfluous move. “Based on previous experiences, if anyone doesn’t want to claim the money, they can simply donate it to the national treasury, or withdraw it and donate it to other charities. The Cabinet doesn’t need to waste resources to systematically design an option to opt out,” she said. Kuomingtang (KMT) legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) agreed, saying that anyone who wishes to opt out can simply do so without complicating the administrative process.

Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Li (李慧芝) said on Tuesday that following deliberations with relevant ministries and commissions, they determined that adding the ability to opt out would require a separate identity verification system to be implemented. Doing so would only delay the overall disbursement schedule. Li said they have explained the issue to the civil groups who launched the campaign and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Cabinet, saying they will continue to listen to their suggestions.