Taiwan's government is sticking with plans to hand every person NT$10,000 in cash next year, rejecting a business lobby's push to use spending vouchers instead — good for families wanting flexibility, less so for shops hoping for a guaranteed spending boost.

• The national commerce chamber wants vouchers, arguing cash will just sit in bank accounts instead of reaching stores.
• The Cabinet says cash lets people cover what they actually need — school fees, caring for kids or elderly parents — rather than being told how to spend it.
• The payout is being framed as an "AI dividend," funded without new borrowing and without cutting defense or the planned monthly child allowance.
• The plan still needs the legislature to pass it, and the Cabinet is pressing lawmakers to finish the review on schedule.

Outlook: Payments should move quickly once the budget clears the legislature, since the government has already run two cash handouts before.