From today, the total value of duty-free items that each person is allowed to bring back into the country is to be raised to NT$35,000 (US$1,079) from NT$20,000, the Customs Administration said yesterday.
The duty-free limit was first set in 1989, and many people have proposed an adjustment given the significant increase in the consumer price index over the past three decades and purchasing power, the agency said.
The new figure was set after taking account the limits in Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries, the agency said.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The new policy is estimated to lead to loss in tax revenue of about NT$3.05 million per year, it added.
In other news, EVA Airways was rated eighth among the world’s top 10 airlines by Skytrax, up from ninth last year.
It was the only Taiwanese carrier that made the Top 10.
EVA ranked first in the Best Premium Economy Class Catering and Best Premium Economy Class Onboard Catering in Asia categories.
“Winning the Skytrax five-star airline certification for the ninth consecutive year is the best recognition of the unremitting efforts and excellent service of all EVA Air employees, and it is also an honor for every employee,” EVA Airways president Clay Sun (孫嘉明) said. “EVA Airways thanks every passenger for their trust and support, and will continue to pursue excellence and surpass ourselves in the future.”
Starlux Airlines ranked No. 35 among the 350 airlines under evaluation, up from No. 39 last year, while China Airlines ranked No. 44, down from No. 41 last year.
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A new message broadcast on the Taipei MRT’s Wenhu (Brown) Line urging passengers to yield their seats to those in need, not necessarily elderly people, would be extended to other MRT lines and public transportation in the capital, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday. Chiang was responding to reporters’ questions on the sidelines of a news conference at Taipei City Hall promoting healthy walking. Several disputes over priority seats on public transportation have recently been reported, sparking debate about who qualifies to sit in them, as most of the cases involved elderly people asking young people to give up their