TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said Friday that seven major budget cuts and freezes approved by the legislature could disrupt government operations.
CNA reported that the legislature passed the 2026 central government budget on Friday, cutting NT$48 billion (US$1.5 billion) in spending. Lee said the total reduction was smaller than earlier proposals, but several agencies and programs still faced cuts or freezes that the Cabinet considered "unreasonable."
One of the Cabinet's main concerns is the National Communications Commission. Lawmakers cut more than NT$57.82 million from the commission's operating budget for August through December.
Lee said the Cabinet submitted nominations for new commission members to the legislature on July 24. She said delays in approving the nominees, together with the budget cut, could prevent the independent agency from carrying out its legal duties.
Government funding for public information was also sharply reduced. The Cabinet and ministries had budgeted NT$1.38 billion for policy communications, but lawmakers cut about NT$684 million, or nearly half of the total, per Liberty Times.
The Cabinet lost its entire NT$16.78 million policy communications budget, while the culture ministry lost its full NT$47.38 million allocation. Lee said the cuts could make it harder for the public to receive accurate government information and could weaken efforts to promote culture.
The Cabinet's Department of Information Services also lost its entire NT$52.54 million operating budget. Lee said the cut could disrupt government communications and affect salary payments and work arrangements for contract employees in the second half of the year, per PTS News.
Lawmakers also cut NT$10 million and froze another NT$20 million from the president's special state affairs budget. Lee said the restrictions could leave too little funding for duties including public outreach and visits to military units during the final months of the year, per TTV News.
Another NT$5.53 million was cut from Cabinet funding used for official coordination and field visits. Lee said the money helps cover administrative costs when the premier visits disaster areas and supports government work during disaster response and recovery, per Economic Daily News.
Human rights and transitional justice programs were also affected. The Cabinet department responsible lost its entire budget, while the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee had half of its operating expenses cut, per UDN.
The committee also lost all funding for overseas travel, special expenses, and subsidies. Lee said the reductions would seriously affect government work on human rights and transitional justice.
The Cabinet is scheduled to review the central government budget for 2027 on Thursday. Lee said she hoped lawmakers would follow the legal timetable and conduct a professional review so government agencies and public programs could continue operating normally.
