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Taoyuan Nights

China Post struggles against reality.

Voucher plan will help stimulate economy: poll

OK, I’m going to give you some quotes from this article, but in a different order, to show you how crazy their conclusion is.

Item 1: Is this coupon going to stimulate new spending?

“Asked whether or not they believe the plan will encourage the public to spend more, 57.9 percent replied that they will use the vouchers to buy daily necessities, ahead of 36.6 percent who said they plan to purchase extra items with the vouchers. Around 5.6 percent revealed that they will try to exchange them for cash.”

So, the majority of people (2 to 1) intend to convert this to cash savings by either continuing to purchase normally but substituting the coupons, or by trying to exchange them for cash directly. In other words, this ’stimulus’ (voter bribe) has already failed.

Item 2: Is the coupon likely to be ‘effective’? (Dictionary: “Producing a strong impression or response; striking; having the desired effect”)

“Some 36.4 percent contended that the measure will only have a limited effect, while 33.4 percent said it will be of little help, the survey found. Around 10.3 percent said the voucher plan will not be successful, according to the survey results.”

OK…

“Of those in favor of the plan, some 5.4 percent view the plan as “very helpful” to the country’s economic situation, while 14.51 percent consider it “helpful.”

So, let’s add up the parts of this poll that sound ‘effective!’ and the parts that sound ‘not effective!’.

I get ‘19.9% effective, 80.1% not effective’. The China Post gets:

“A total of 89.66 percent of the 503 respondents said they consider the voucher plan an effective means of stimulating Taiwan’s economy”.

…. I see.

Earth-base to China-Post-base: has the moon landing been successful?

Posted: November 23rd, 2008 under Taiwan.

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