The sources said that Liu will invite representatives from relevant units under the Cabinet to discuss the issue in the near future.

It is roughly estimated that the government will face an additional expense of over NT$8 billion per year if the monthly pension is raised by NT$1,000 per month as suggested. And the total annual budget for pension payments to elderly farmers would amount to NT$50 billion or so.

If the pension expansion program is evaluated as feasible, then the Cabinet may officially announce the news.

All the heavyweights of both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang seeking their presence in the 2008 presidential race have asserted that the monthly pension payment for elderly farmers should be boosted from the existing level of NT$5,000.

For instance, DPP's former premier Frank Hsieh recently stressed that serving as premier in 2005, he successfully raised the monthly pension payable to elderly farmers to NT$5,000 from NT$4,000. Hsieh added that he would move to jack up the pension further.

Former chairman Ma Ying-jeou recently also came up with a proposal to hike elderly farmer pension to NT$6,000 per month or even to NT$10,000 if the economic growth can warrant the increase.

Ma's close aides said that they have come out with a package to help elderly farmers out of poverty, and boosting the pension is just part of the package.

They said Ma is glad to see Premier Su follow his footsteps in seeking to raise the monthly pension for old farmers.