TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s budget agency warned that delays in legislative review of the central government’s budget could disrupt military training and Coast Guard operations, CNA reported Saturday.
The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a special session on Monday to examine the impact of the unreviewed budget. Officials from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of National Defense have been invited to testify.
According to a DGBAS report, NT$299.2 billion (US$9.54 billion) in spending cannot be disbursed until the budget is approved, including NT$101.7 billion for new programs and NT$180.5 billion for recurring and expanded projects. Another NT$17 billion earmarked for reserve and disaster preparedness funds is also frozen.
The defense ministry would be among the hardest hit, with NT$72.5 billion in affected expenditures, the statistics agency said. Delays would disrupt reserve force enhancement and combat training.
Military medical investment projects classified as new programs would also be stalled, including upgrades to combat casualty surgery and emergency medical equipment. The DGBAS warned that the delay would hinder the replacement of life-saving equipment needed in peacetime and wartime.
The defense ministry said insufficient funding would affect NT$41.5 billion in programs, including replenishment of Javelin and Stinger missiles, as well as joint command-and-control systems.
The Ocean Affairs Council would face similar constraints, with new projects such as Coast Guard facility renovations, surveillance system upgrades, and dock reinforcement unable to proceed. The delays could weaken operational capacity and reduce the effectiveness of drug interdiction efforts, DGBAS said.
Local governments would also be affected, as NT$63.7 billion in new centrally funded projects and subsidies cannot move forward without approval. Impacted programs include the Tpass commuter monthly pass, flood control and drainage upgrades, and childcare facility expansion.
