Lawmakers back from the campaign trail returned to their jobs for the first time yesterday, unanimously agreeing to get to work on the nation's budget.
Between Dec. 10 and Dec. 26, the legislature's 12 standing committees plan to meet on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to discuss spending plans that fall within their domain.
Lawmakers took a recess for the entire month of November so they could campaign to keep their posts. Yesterday was the first full assembly of the legislature since the break began.
"The legislature cannot afford any further delay, as outgoing members including myself are due to vacate their office in mid-January," KMT lawmaker Liu Kuang-hua (
Starting Jan. 3, a full meeting of the legislature is expected to debate next year's fiscal budget. If all goes well, the package should be approved by Jan. 11.
Pressed for time, the legislature will likely be forced to extend its current session, which was set to conclude at the end of this year.
A motion to lengthen the session will be formally raised later this month, according to legislative clerks.
Spending for next year is projected to reach NT$1.6 trillion, down NT$37.8 billion, or 2.3 percent, from this year.
The government is forecasting NT$1.34 trillion in revenue, leaving a shortfall of NT$258.6 billion. The government plans to issue bonds to close the gap.
Opposition caucuses had earlier threatened to send back the Cabinet's proposed budget because it failed to take into account damage caused by typhoons Toraji and Nari.
The Cabinet submitted an explanatory note on Oct. 29 in the hope of speeding up review of the budget.
Though still unhappy, opposition parties yesterday agreed to quit their boycott.
"The time constraint has left us little room to continue protesting," said New Party legislative leader Levi Ying (
Still, there are hundreds of bills, including those necessary to put into effect the recommendations of the Economic Development Advisory Conference, awaiting review.
Caucus leaders plan to hold cross-party talks this morning to come up with an agenda for the remainder of the session.
The DPP's legislative whip, Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯), said he has urged party members to attend legislative meetings. Before the campaign break, only a handful of lawmakers bothered showing up to legislative sessions.
But Liu doubted that attendance would improve, noting that many of his colleagues are still fatigued by the campaign.
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation. These are part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which the US House yesterday passed with 341 votes in favor and 88 against. The act must be passed by the US Senate before Friday next week to avoid another government shutdown. The US House Committee on Appropriations on Monday unveiled the act, saying that it allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative
RSS