The 27 DPP lawmakers have won concession from the Kuomintang (KMT), which controls the majority of 81 legislative seats, for preliminary discussion of the proposed tax rebate bill today.

KMT legislators made it clear that there is no sufficient time to complete the legislation procedures for the bill during the remaining days in the current session.

They opposed the rebate measure as a way to give money to the people as a way to boost spending and help shore up the economy as suggested by the DPP.

They also said that the national coffers have suffered huge deficit after eight years of the DPP administration and it is infeasible to raise new debts in order to give cash to the people as in Hong Kong or Singapore, which all generated increasing revenues.

But the DPP is aiming to seize the chance to sway the public opinions in the belief that few people would object any proposal for the government to give them cash money.

If the people back the plan of immediately getting money from the government, the KMT will dare not to oppose it, one of DPP lawmakers said.

Under the draft statute, any person who got net income of under NT$495,000 during the year of 2007 can receive tax rebate of NT$6,000 from the government.

Both the taxpayer and his/her spouse can get the NT$6,000 rebate if their combined income did not exceed NT$990,000.

Each of their dependents will be entitled to a rebate of NT$4,000.

According to the proposal, each citizen who was not required to file income tax returns will be given a subsidy of NT$4,000 to help them cushion the financial impact from the soaring commodities prices, especially fuel costs and food items.

Analysts said the DPP aims to use the rebate issue to regain support from the voters in upcoming elections.

If the KMT dares to oppose the cash-offering proposal, the DPP will give the voters the impression that it more aware of the people's interests than KMT is, observed the analyst.

Outbidding each other by offering greater cash payments or sweeter benefits to woo voters despite growing public debts has been a common tactic of many Taiwan politicians to win more ballots, they added.