TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Cabinet is set to decide this week whether to withhold its countersignature or seek a constitutional interpretation over a newly passed pension bill that halts cuts for civil servants and public school educators, CNA reported.

The Legislative Yuan passed the amendments with a third reading on Dec. 12, passing the Civil Servants Retirement, Discharge, and Pensions Act and revising Articles 37, 38, and 67 of the Public School Employee Retirement, Discharge, and Pensions Act. The third reading documents have since been sent to the Presidential Office and the Cabinet.

The Cabinet has warned that the changes would roll back seven years of pension reform launched in 2018 under former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). It argued that the reform had already left retired civil servants and educators with monthly benefits roughly twice those of workers covered by labor insurance.

According to the Cabinet, freezing pension cuts would widen the funding gap and shift the burden onto taxpayers, undermining the long-term sustainability of the pension system.

By law, the Cabinet must decide by Sunday at the latest whether to seek legislative reconsideration, request a constitutional interpretation, or withhold its countersignature. The issue has drawn attention after the Constitutional Court recently ruled amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act unconstitutional.