Taiwan Presidential Office cancels gift order, devastating workshops for disabled workers

A significant Mid-Autumn Festival order from Taiwan's Presidential Office has been canceled, leaving 37 sheltered workshops in distress and impacting approximately 15,000 disabled workers. The decision, stemming from a freeze on the Presidential Office's discretionary fund by the legislative coalition of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), has forced the cancellation of 15,000 gift box orders.

Workshops like Shi Fang, Li Da, and Maria in Taichung are particularly affected. Yu Yue-ju, director of the Shi Fang Enlightenment Center, stated that the Presidential Office has ordered gift boxes since 2009, providing crucial support and a "gold standard" for their products. This year's order of over 300 boxes was canceled after the budget freeze, causing deep sadness among trainees and teachers. "The children heard the order was canceled, and they are very sad!" Yu said, adding that the workers, who have intellectual disabilities often around a 7-year-old level, question if they did something wrong.

Compounding the issue, workshops are already facing a 20-30% increase in material costs this year, making operations difficult. The loss of the Presidential Office's order, which often encourages private sector orders, is a severe blow. "This year's order volume is only half of previous years," Yu noted. The cancellation affects not only the workshops' revenue but also the incentive bonuses and training fees for the disabled workers, as these workshops do not charge tuition.

Other organizations echoed the sentiment. Hung Rui-feng, a group leader at the Maria Social Welfare Foundation, expressed shock, noting that while they usually secure orders of 1,000 boxes, the Presidential Office's order of over 300 boxes was a significant fallback. Huang Ming-ya, director of the Li Da Enlightenment Center, lamented the loss, calling the Presidential Office's order a "brand guarantee" that is now gone. The Smile Angel Bakery Workshop, which produces desserts, also saw its order reduced by 40% compared to previous years, though they expressed gratitude for retaining any order at all amidst rising costs of up to double the previous prices.