TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Budget negotiations in the legislature stalled on Thursday as government ministries said spending cuts proposed by opposition lawmakers would affect core services.
A budget proposal approved by the Cabinet in August remains stuck in the opposition-controlled legislature. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) reconvened lawmakers to discuss the proposal on Thursday after KMT and TPP legislators proposed a range of spending cuts the day before.
Han unsuccessfully tried to direct lawmakers' discussions toward the general budget bills during the meeting, per CNA. Talks became sidetracked as DPP Caucus Leader Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) attempted to back a spending bill for wildlife conservation.
Ker said all legislators had agreed on the item, so it should be prioritized. TPP Caucus Leader Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) then accused Ker of using minor issues to block general budget discussions. KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) said her party would refuse to continue negotiations if the situation continued.
After 90 minutes of heated debate, Han brought the meeting to a close. Han said no consensus had been reached and implored all parties to maintain communication.
Meanwhile, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) assembled the heads of ministries and other government agencies for a press conference to oppose the proposed spending cuts. Cho said the cuts may impact national security, economic development, and public construction projects.
Deputy Defense Minister Pai Hung-hui (柏鴻輝) said the proposed spending cuts, on top of those already approved by the Cabinet in August, would reduce the defense budget by 44%. He said this may affect Taiwan’s indigenous submarine program, drone development, defense materiel maintenance, and salary increases, among other things.
Mainland Affairs Council Chair Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said cross-strait exchanges may stop and Taiwan’s offices in Hong Kong and Macau may be closed if the budget cuts are approved. He said this may make it impossible to analyze the situation in China and would be akin to cutting off one’s limbs.
National Science and Technology Council Chair Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said the proposed budget cuts are the largest since the council was established. He said reducing the council’s budget would affect the council’s ability to research improvements in computing power, AI, and other areas.
Cho said he hoped the opposition would unite to pass the Cabinet’s spending proposals for the country. “Budget reviews are not for venting emotions or for making reprisals,” he said.
In response to Cho’s criticism, the KMT said the DPP should work to persuade the public their spending proposals are best. The party said its role is to safeguard public funds and thoroughly review spending proposals.
The KMT has proposed to slash the media budgets of government agencies by claiming they are used for political purposes. Its legislators have also proposed to cut subsidies to the state-owned Taiwan Power Company, citing flawed energy policies.
Additionally, the KMT has proposed cutting spending on Taiwan’s indigenous defense submarine program. The TPP, meanwhile, has also proposed reducing government spending by NT$206 billion and freezing a further NT$97.4 billion.
