A Ministry of National Defense official yesterday said that completing the long-stalled purchase of a US arms package from the ministry's normal annual budget, instead of a special budget, was unlikely because of the government's constrained finances.
The official, who requested anonymity, was responding to a report in a Chinese-language newspaper, which said that US authorities have suggested that Taiwan can pay for the weapons out of the ministry's annual budget.
"The policy for the special arms budget has never changed. The ministry has not yet received any information from the US suggesting that Taiwan organize the arms bill into its annual budget," the official told the Central News Agency yesterday.
The NT$480 billion (US$15 billion) US arms-procurement budget would pay for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile batteries, 12 P-3C maritime patrol aircraft and eight diesel-powered submarines.
The newspaper reported that because the special arms budget has been blocked by pan-blue legislators, US government and think tank officials suggested to the ministry's Chief of the General Staff General Lee Tien-yu (
The US officials also urged that Taiwan raise its annual defense budget to between 3 percent to 3.5 percent of GDP.
In response, the ministry official agreed that the defense budget had been too low in recent years, accounting for only 2.4 percent of GDP this year. As a result, it would be difficult to pay for the NT$480 billion arms bill from the ministry's annual budget without a significant -- and unlikely -- budget increase.
If the government boosts the defense budget to 3 percent of GDP, it would be able to spend an additional NT$70 billion per year.
According to the newspaper report, a military official said if the government had these additional funds, it could probably purchase the PAC-3 missile batteries and 12 P-3C maritime patrol aircraft from the regular budget, with the costs spread over several years. However, if the price tag for the subs were added in, the total cost would be too high for the annual budget, the official said.
Vice Minister of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) Chen Ching-tsai (陳慶財) has said that the government will not be able to give the ministry a budget of 3 percent of GDP for the next five years, due to its constrained financial situation.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS