HAC Minister Gu Show-faye stated that businesses from all across Taiwan will now be able to apply for becoming Hakka Coin 2.0 partner merchants, no longer limited to the 70 key Hakka cultural development areas. The scope has been broadened to include individual businesses or stalls that actually operate without taxation registration. As for Hakka Coin recipients, the random lottery of version 1.0 has been cancelled due to budget constraints. Instead, token distribution will focus on enthusiasts of the Hakka language, including current members that have received Hakka model family recognition, Hakka language proficiency certificants, and additionally, students under the age of 18 enrolled in Hakka language or Hakka culture courses and their teachers.
Regarding the application process for Hakka Coin 2.0 partner merchants, interested businesses need to complete three key steps in sequence. First, applicants can sign up online via email or the official website. To ensure basic Hakka service skills, they will need to record a 10-second video of their frontline staff speaking to customers, saying the three designated Hakka phrases: huân-ngiàng (“welcome”); an-tsí-sie (or sṳ̀n-mùng-ngì; “thank you”); and tsang-lòi-liau (“come back again soon”). Businesses must also have a TWQR payment device and a payment barcode. Technical support from a consultant will be available as needed. During the effective period of Hakka Coin 2.0, frontline staff must ensure familiarity with the designated Hakka language teaching materials provided by HAC, as unannounced random visits will be made to assess Hakka language services.
The first phase of the Hakka Coin distribution is expected to issue 200,000 tokens, with subsequent adjustments made on a rolling basis depending on next year’s budget. In terms of system design, HAC has introduced an exit and reward mechanism. In the exit mechanism, if a business is unwilling to cooperate or fails to meet the standards, it will be removed from the list and banned from reapplication in the same year; it will need to prepare again in the following year. As for the reward mechanism, 30% Hakka language use serves as the basic threshold only. If a store can achieve 100% Hakka usage, we will recommend it as an “excellent Hakka language business” and help it gain visibility through various promotional channels.
