Taiwan plans to hand every citizen NT$10,000 next year, and a fight has started over whether it should be cash or spending vouchers — good news for families either way, less certain for shops hoping the money gets spent fast.

• President Lai Ching-te announced the payout and said people should be free to use it however they want — tuition, caring for kids or elderly parents, or shopping.
• The national business federation wants vouchers with an expiry date instead, so the money is forced into shops, restaurants, tourism and services rather than savings.
• The Cabinet is holding firm on cash, arguing it best meets whatever each household needs right now.
• The government says the handout adds no new debt, does not crowd out defense or a planned monthly child allowance, and must clear a legal and constitutional process.
• Money is being framed as an "AI dividend" — a share of the growth Taiwan's tech boom has produced.

Outlook: The plan now goes to the legislature, where opposition parties will decide how fast it moves and whether the cash-versus-voucher argument reopens.