TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – NT$10,000 (US$327) cash handouts to the public are likely to start in late October after the Legislative Yuan approved a special act with a package of related measures Friday.

Lawmakers raised the cost of the program to NT$570 billion from NT$545 billion. However, the opposition KMT and TPP joined forces to block NT$20 billion in aid to state utility Taiwan Power Company, the Liberty Times reported.

The main aim of the package is to help businesses, workers, and farmers counter the impact of US tariffs. 

The timetable for the cash handouts agreed in negotiations Thursday stipulated that the distribution of the money should start within one month after promulgation of the special act, and end seven months later. In practice, the accord means the handouts could begin in late October.

The government had initially condemned the plan as unconstitutional, but later expressed support on condition that changes were made to the special act to remove potentially unconstitutional elements.