If the legislature is dissatisfied with next year's spending plan, it should be altered rather than sent back to the Cabinet to avoid damaging the morale of the executive branch, the nation's top statistician said yesterday.
Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Lin Chuan (林全) said that it would take just as much effort to amend the spending plan as it would to prepare a new one.
"Either way, it will cause great harm to the executive agencies," Lin told the legislature's Budgets and Final Accounts Committee.
Opposition parties have threatened to return the budget on the grounds that it fails to list outlays needed to implement the proposals of the Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC) and repair damages caused by Typhoon Nari.
In addition, they said that the budget fails to estimate potential losses from the terrorist attacks on the US last month.
But Lin said there are alternative measures to address these concerns.
The Cabinet can seek to cover damages from Nari with discretionary funds or by adjusting subsidies to local governments, he said.
Opposition lawmakers have said it will take NT$100 billion to put into effect EDAC recommendations designed to boost the economy.
Lin said he doubted the accuracy of the figure, and added that the money at issue would likely be spread over several fiscal years.
He described the spending bill as carefully prepared and warned that delays in reviewing the budget by the legislature may exacerbate public complaints about its inefficiency.
Total spending for the next fiscal year, beginning Jan. 1, is projected at NT$1.6 trillion.
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