TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Opposition KMT and TPP legislators prioritized the review of select budget items at the Legislative Yuan on Friday — ignoring the general budget, CNA reported.
Among the 38 budget items submitted for a second reading were childbirth subsidies, Tpass monthly transit tickets, and flood control programs. KMT Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said these issues directly impact people’s daily lives. Spending on the bills totals around NT$71.8 billion (US$2.2 billion).
Delays in reviewing the budget items have prompted several local governments to use their own funds to maintain services, including the Tpass program.
The Legislative Yuan typically reviews the Cabinet’s general budget by first sending it to committee. Committees must complete their reviews before the full session considers the budget for a second and then a final reading.
The DPP said the opposition’s move to prioritize certain budget items bypasses standard review procedures. However, Lo countered that the move complies with Article 54 of the Budget Act, which provides for emergency measures if the annual general budget cannot be reviewed within the deadline.
The Cabinet submitted this year’s NT$3.35 trillion general budget to the Legislative Yuan in August. However, the general budget has not been reviewed because of the KMT and TPP, which has a majority.
The opposition said the delays were due to the Cabinet leaving out military pay raises. They added the government had provided limited details in some cases and there were disagreements over how central and local governments should share funds under the government revenue allocation act.
DPP Legislative Caucus Director Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) questioned the legitimacy of the opposition parties’ delays in examining the general budget. He said the opposition’s move to prioritize certain budget items lacked justification.
In addition, reviews of the special defense budget remain stalled. In November, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said the government planned to spend NT$1.25 trillion on a special defense budget.
The money would support advanced air defense and interception systems, the use of AI in precision-strike weapons, and development of the domestic defense sector. KMT and TPP lawmakers have used their majority eight times so far to block the special defense budget from being placed on the Legislative Yuan’s review agenda.
To break the deadlock, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) will reportedly attend a closed session of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense Committee on Monday to brief lawmakers on the special defense budget’s procurement details.
