TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The ruling and opposition parties agreed to increase legislators' monthly staffing budgets by 3% on Tuesday.

The change increased each legislator’s monthly assistant budget to NT$470,760 (US$14,362) and the party caucuses to NT$599,500 each, per CNA. The KMT, DPP, and TPP caucus leaders signed an agreement to bring the change into effect starting Jan. 1 this year.

Legislative Yuan Organizational Act states each legislator can hire between eight and 14 assistants using the allocated funds. It does not require legislators to publicly disclose how many assistants they hire or how much they pay them.

The increased budgets were approved the day before former New Taipei City Councilor Tseng Huan-chia (曾煥嘉) was sentenced to prison for fraudulently claiming assistant fees. 

Legislators or local leaders from all major political parties have been investigated or charged for the practice, leading Citizen Congress Watch to call for stricter reporting requirements.