TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The public will be able to book pre-orders for Taiwan's new NT$5,000 (US$178) stimulus vouchers in September and pick them up in October.

In October, Taiwan is launching its beefed-up “Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers” (振興五倍券) program to help stimulate Taiwan's economy as it recovers from a soft lockdown over the summer. Unlike last year's “Triple Stimulus Vouchers” (振興三倍券) which were worth NT$3,000 (US$101) each but required NT$1,000 to acquire, these vouchers will be free of charge.

During a Cabinet meeting held on Thursday (Aug. 26), the National Development Council reported on the details of the rollout of the new vouchers. Both paper and digital versions can be pre-ordered in late September, received in October, and will be valid until the end of April 2022.

The vouchers can be used like cash at all stores as well as at art exhibitions, at sporting events, and for travel activities. They cannot be used to pay taxes, utility fees, traffic tickets, credit card bills, or administrative fees.

In principle, the vouchers cannot be used to make purchases on foreign or major domestic e-commerce sites that have not been impacted by the pandemic. However, a white list of e-commerce sites that the government deems eligible for the vouchers will also be provided.

In addition to Taiwanese citizens, a UDN report released on Aug. 17 stated that foreign permanent residents are on the preliminary list of eligible individuals. The Liberty Times reported on Aug. 19 that it was likely APRC holders and diplomats would be included in the program as was the case last year.

An estimated 13,000 permanent residents and diplomats would qualify for the stimulus certificates.