Core Viewpoint - The Central Bank of Taiwan has announced a new version of the New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) for the first time in 24 years, with plans to start budgeting for it in 2028, amid political controversies regarding the removal of political figures' images from the currency [1][2][3]. Group 1: Currency Redesign Details - The average cost of the new banknotes is estimated at 5 NTD per note, with a total expenditure of approximately 5 billion NTD for the redesign, which will involve replacing 700 million to 1 billion notes annually [1]. - All five denominations of the current NTD, which include 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 NTD, will undergo redesign, with the first new banknote expected to be issued two and a half years after the theme is selected [2]. - The redesign will also require adjustments to ATMs and other cash-handling equipment, incurring an additional social cost of around 1.6 billion NTD [2]. Group 2: Political Implications and Public Reaction - There are concerns that the redesign is part of a political agenda to "de-Sun Yat-sen" and "de-Chiang Kai-shek," as current banknotes feature these political figures [3][4]. - Some lawmakers have criticized the redesign as unnecessary, arguing that cash usage is declining due to the rise of mobile payments, questioning the need for such an expensive change [1][3]. - Public sentiment appears to be against the redesign, with many expressing that funds should be better allocated to improve citizens' lives rather than on currency redesign [3][4].