TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday defended the central government budget in the legislature, clearing the way for it to be sent to committee review after months of delay, per CNA.
The development follows an agreement reached last Thursday between ruling and opposition parties to end a prolonged budget impasse. As part of the deal, lawmakers invited Cho to deliver a report and answer questions, while the Cabinet agreed to propose amendments within six months on pay increases for the military and retirement benefits for police and firefighters, a key sticking point in earlier negotiations.
Cho was joined by senior officials, including representatives from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics and the Ministry of Finance, during his report and the subsequent question-and-answer session.
“After more than 200 days of delay, our first hope is for a swift review,” Cho said. “Secondly, especially given the recent situation in the Middle East, we hope the legislature can provide reasonable flexibility during the review process,” per PTS.
Cho said the government has sought to improve compensation for civil servants, noting that salaries for military personnel, civil servants, and teachers have risen four times since 2016, for a cumulative increase of 14%. He said the Cabinet omitted the budget for legislature-mandated pay increases for the military and retirement benefits for police and firefighters, as it thought the measures would disrupt pay balance across the civil service and potentially raise constitutional concerns, according to PTS.
This led the Cabinet to file a petition with the Constitutional Court in August 2025, seeking an interpretation and a temporary injunction, suspending the contested budget items.
Cho said the Cabinet would continue to review compensation policies based on principles of fairness and fiscal sustainability, including exploring adjustments that better reflect price levels and align with broader civil service systems. He added that future discussions would be conducted in consultation with lawmakers while maintaining constitutional and fiscal discipline.
Following questioning from lawmakers across party lines, Chiang confirmed the central government budget, including affiliated agency budgets, would proceed to committee review based on the agreed schedule.
Despite the breakthrough, lawmakers are expected to scrutinize specific spending items. The KMT legislative caucus has signaled it will closely examine government media advertising expenditures, while the TPP legislative caucus has reiterated calls to abolish the Control Yuan and freeze its budget, per PTS.
The KMT also pressed Cho to clarify his position on funding for military pay raises and pension reforms for police and firefighters within the agreed six-month timeframe.
“The government has never neglected the welfare and benefits of military personnel, civil servants, and teachers,” Cho said. “It is not that support is insufficient, but there are areas where it can be further strengthened.”
Addressing a separate personnel deadlock, Cho said he plans to nominate three additional members to the Central Election Commission and expressed hope that the legislature would expedite the confirmation process.
