Taiwan's opposition wants to double a planned cash payout to every citizen, and the ruling party says that is a spending contest with no end.

• President Lai already promised NT$10,000 per person next year, with the money written into the government budget.
• The KMT caucus now wants NT$20,000 instead, and is making it a top priority when parliament reconvenes.
• The DPP says lawmakers cannot just vote more money into existence — the constitution and budget law bar parliament from raising spending without naming a funding source.
• The bigger worry is escalation: if one party says NT$20,000, another can say NT$30,000, and individual lawmakers can go higher still.
• Taiwan's government does have more money thanks to recent growth, but it also has defense, welfare, and a hole left by holding down electricity and fuel prices.

Outlook: The NT$10,000 payment stays the realistic baseline unless the cabinet agrees to a supplementary budget, with the fight likely shaped by the coming election season.