TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) invited lawmakers to discuss the Cabinet’s proposed budget bills on Thursday (Nov. 7) and offered compromises to resolve a legislative deadlock that began in September.
The DPP’s Cho met caucus leaders of the KMT Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) and the TPP Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), alongside other members of the three parties, per CNA.
At the meeting, Cho suggested various ways to pay for expenses outlined in the Logging Ban Compensation for Lands Reserved for Indigenous Peoples Act. He also offered extra funding for government grain purchases, and committed to improving aspects of the healthcare system.
Opposition party legislators have opposed the budget bills in part because they do not provide enough money to cover spending outlined in amendments to the logging ban act passed in June. Cho suggested three potential funding sources that would not require altering the proposed budget.
One is a development fund established by Article 14 of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law, and the second is a secondary reserve fund outlined under Article 22 of the Budget Act, Cho said. He also said a supplementary budget could be considered, which is outlined in Article 79 of the Budget Act.
Cho also said the Cabinet would work to increase funding hospitals via the National Health Insurance Administration’s expense points. He said the Cabinet would also support the health system in other ways, including promoting tiered medical care and referral systems.
The Cabinet has also included an additional NT$1.65 billion (US$51.13 million) in its budget bills for the public acquisition of grain, Cho said. He said the Cabinet has discussed its plan with the agriculture ministry, and it is expected to increase the market price of dry grains by NT$3 per kilogram within three years.
Cho said this increase would improve the livelihoods of farmers and promote sustainable agricultural development. He also said it would help Taiwan achieve food independence.
Cho reiterated that if the government budget is not passed, spending on items like planned salary increases for public service workers would not be possible.
Cho’s offer to the opposition parties comes around two months after the budget bills were introduced to the legislature. KMT and TPP legislators have repeatedly blocked the bills as the Cabinet has urged them to abide by the Constitution.
