ROC consumer voucher
The Republic of China Consumer Voucher (Chinese: 中華民國振興經濟消費券) was part of an economic stimulus package held by the government of the Republic of China. The distribution of the vouchers to every ROC citizen born before 31 March 2009 and some foreign residents (i.e. spouses of citizens) began on 18 January 2009. The purpose of these vouchers was to combat the economic downturn in the country mainly due to the global financial crisis which began in 2007. According to government officials, the vouchers had to be picked up before 30 April 2009, had to be used before 30 September 2009, and could not be deposited into bank accounts. The overall amount distributed in the form of Consumer Vouchers was $85.8 billion New Taiwan Dollars, roughly around $2.75 billion USD.[1][2]
Each recipient was entitled to NT$3600, about US$115, the day the vouchers were distributed. Around 91% of the vouchers were issued during the first phase of the distribution. These vouchers could be used to purchase just about any item in Taiwan; however, there were a few notable restrictions. They could not be used to buy lottery tickets or stored-value merchandise, such as prepaid cards.
Based on the premise of a multiplier effect in economics, the ROC Government estimates a growth of 0.66% to 1% in GDP as a result of the increase in domestic demand from the circulation of these vouchers.[3]