By Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNA
The 165 anti-fraud hotline and 1980 and 1995 mental health support hotlines should be free for everyone, as they are closely tied to public well-being and safety, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said today.
The 1980 hotline run by the Teacher Chang Foundation provides free psychological counseling services, and the 1995 24-hour hotline run by Taiwan Lifeline International provides confidential emotional support, counseling and suicide prevention services.
Lin held a news conference today advocating for free access to the three hotlines, saying that the government considers fraud prevention a major priority.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Calls to the 165, 1980 and 1995 hotlines are currently only free for Chunghwa Telecom users, while Far EasTone and Taiwan Mobile users are charged, Lin said.
Calls to the 165 hotline from these two providers must be routed through Chunghwa Telecom, which charges NT$0.3 per call during regular hours, while the two carriers charge users an additional NT$1 per call, the legislator said.
Calls to the 1980 and 1995 hotlines are also charged, but such public-interest, life-saving services should be free, he said.
Out of consideration for public well-being, these costs should be subsidized by the government, Lin said.
There were a total of 475,000 calls to the 165 hotline in 2023, an increase of nearly 9 percent compared to 2022, indicating that usage is rising, he said.
The two carriers charge fees, as they screen calls through their own customer service before transferring them to the 165 hotline, while the 1980 and 1995 hotlines are billed based on interconnection fees, National Communications Commission official Huang Tien-yang (黃天陽) said.
It would be helpful to those in need if the government could cover the expenses, Huang said.
Making calls free would reduce the barriers and hesitation people face when seeking assistance, Ministry of Health and Welfare Department of Mental Health Deputy Director Cheng Sheu-shin (é„淑心) said.
However, considering that the 1980 and 1995 hotlines are non-governmental organizations, making calls free could cause the number of callers to surpass what staff can handle, making it harder for people to get through, Cheng said.
The National Police Agency would consider how to increase service capacity for the 165 anti-fraud hotline if the government allocates a budget and the legislature approves it, Criminal Investigation Bureau Deputy Director Lin Ku-yen (林故延) said.