TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Spokesperson Wu Cheng (吳崢) on Monday accused opposition lawmakers of delaying review of the government’s 2026 budget proposal.
Wu said the Cabinet submitted its 2026 budget proposal in August 2025, but lawmakers have yet to complete the review more than 290 days later, per CNA. He also accused the opposition of blocking confirmations for key government positions, including members of the National Communications Commission, the prosecutor-general, the Public Television Service board, and Constitutional Court justices.
Wu argued that delays to the budget review process, stalled appointments, and legislation favoring special interests are harming Taiwan’s development.
The Cabinet on Thursday urged lawmakers to accelerate the review process to avoid reviewing the 2026 and 2027 budgets at the same time, per SETN. Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said a prolonged review could hamper the implementation of government policies.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) also warned Saturday that delays could limit the government’s ability to access secondary reserve funds and disaster relief funds in the event of a natural disaster, per Liberty Times.
Six legislative committees are still reviewing portions of the 2026 budget, with approximately 19 government agencies awaiting review, per Liberty Times. Committees that have not completed their reviews are chaired by KMT or TPP lawmakers, while committees chaired by DPP legislators completed their reviews by June, per Tai Sounds.
The KMT rejected accusations that it was responsible for the delays, arguing that the DPP was obscuring the reasons behind an earlier deadlock over the 2026 budget. The party said Cho had refused to incorporate higher military pay levels mandated under legislation backed by opposition lawmakers.
The KMT also disputed the government’s warnings about the impact of the delays, arguing that agencies can continue operating existing projects using funds appropriated under the 2025 budget, per China Times. The party added that lawmakers had already authorized funding for new programs but that the Cabinet was initially unwilling to use those funds.
Wu also criticized KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) for proposing NT$47.3 million (US$1.5 million) in cuts to the culture ministry’s budget, calling the proposal an attempt to weaken Taiwan’s international visibility. DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said the Chinese Communist Party would benefit from efforts that reduce Taiwan’s international presence, per Newtalk.
Responding to the criticism, Weng said government spending should prioritize operational needs rather than publicity and advertising, per CNA. Citing the foreign ministry as an example, she argued that the ministry should not increase its media budget by NT$100 million without good reason when it had previously operated with a budget of NT$30 million.
Weng also accused DPP lawmakers of shielding the administration’s budget proposals from scrutiny. She said she would have proposed deeper cuts had her aides not advised against doing so because of anticipated criticism from the DPP.
