Taiwan's ruling party plans to hand every resident NT$10,000 next year, and the opposition KMT now says the payout should be two to three times bigger — good news for households, a headache for the budget.

• President Lai announced a NT$10,000 universal cash handout for next year to share the fruits of economic growth.
• The cabinet has already put the money into the 2027 central government budget, at a cost of over NT$230 billion.
• KMT caucus leader Fu Kun-chi backs the idea but wants NT$20,000 to NT$30,000, arguing growth this year far outpaced last year's.
• The argument is that the government over-collected taxes and should give the excess back to people.
• Payment timing depends on how fast the legislature passes the budget, which the KMT controls.

Outlook: Expect a fight in the legislature over the size of the handout, with the final amount and payment date hinging on how quickly the budget clears.