Supplementary budget stuck on defense, welfare
DIFFERENCES REMAIN: Although legislators were able to agree to passing the budget by Nov. 20, they held back decisions on defense and social welfare
By Chen Chung-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Lawmakers yesterday completed a preliminary committee review of the government’s NT$607.6 billion (US$18.5 billion) supplementary budget for this year, save for defense and social welfare programs, which were held back by lingering disagreements.
The general budget for this year passed its third reading on Aug. 14 after a protracted fight in the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan.
The Cabinet in September proposed a supplementary budget to address additional funding requirements, including anti-inflation measures targeting the effects of rising energy prices, increases to social welfare allowances aimed at boosting the birthrate and military procurements.
Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang attends a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government and opposition parties resolved most of their differences via cross-caucus negotiations, with the parties agreeing to pass the budget by Nov. 20.
However, legislators butted heads over national defense funding and child-rearing subsidies, which paused the spending items to alow further inter-party talks before they could be introduced to the floor.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Huang Chien-pin (黃建賓) proposed defunding the Taiwan Tactical Network, freezing more than NT$1 billion in drone, counter-drone, and general armament and equipment procurement, as well as slashing 20 percent of the general communication equipment budget.
However, Huang was a no-show at the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting, resulting in his proposal being bracketed without discussion.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬) proposed freezing 10 percent of the general armaments and equipment procurement budget, and demanded the Ministry of National Defense (MND) justify its quotes on drone programs.
KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), who chaired the meeting, successfully negotiated a compromised version of Liu’s proposal to suspend 5 percent of the general armament and equipment budget.
Lawmakers and MND officials could not agree on the conditions for unfreezing the affected programs, as the ministry wanted to brief lawmakers separately and legislators preferred formal committee hearings.
The committee bracketed Huang and Liu’s proposals as topics for leaders of party caucuses to discuss.
TPP Legislator Wang An-hsiang (王安祥) proposed freezing NT$1 million of the general armaments and equipment procurement funds.
The MND would submit a report detailing its planned use of the allocations to a joint committee at the legislature a week before being allowed to access the funds.
Meanwhile, TPP Legislator Chiu Hui-ju (邱慧洳) proposed suspending 5 percent of social insurance subsidies until a joint committee signs off on the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s (MOHW) report on utilizing the budget.
The MOHW did not provide complete information on the program’s implementation timetable, estimated number of eligible recipients or arrangements for carryover to be used next year, she said.
Other lawmakers objected to her proposal, citing concerns that gathering a joint committee on the matter would take up too much time to pass the budget on schedule.
KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) proposed slashing all additional administrative funding earmarked for the Social and Family Affairs Administration and freezing social welfare services.
MOHW officials said that canceling the budget would result in delays in implementing the child-rearing subsidies.
Lawmakers resolved to table Lee’s motion for interparty talks.
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