Agency heads plead for leniency on budget cuts

The legislature is due to conclude the budgetary review process today, which may be extended to next week if necessary.

Opposition caucuses abruptly halted budgetary talks Wednesday afternoon in a show of protest after Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) criticized the legislature for being "inefficient."

Hwang Chin-sheng (黃金聲), accounting director of the Central Personnel Administration, has paid daily visits to the legislature recently in the hope of safeguarding his agency's spending.

The opposition alliance had earlier proposed pruning his department's outlays by 4 percent. On a second review on Tuesday, lawmakers adjusted the cut to 2 percent with an addendum requiring the department to reform its pay and benefit policies within a year.

Hwang breathed a sigh of relief after learning that the trim does not apply to electricity and maintenance expenses that cost his agency up to NT$20 million a year.

"The money is bread and butter to the institution," he said. "We would have to work in the dark if deprived of the money."

Hwang said his department had practiced frugality when preparing the budget. As a result of the economic downturn, the Cabinet had instructed its agencies to cut their expenses.

Altogether, the government's spending budget is expected to reach NT$1.6 trillion this year, down NT$37.8 billion, or 2.3 percent, from last year.

The savings stem primarily from an across-the-board cut to travel, personnel and various other costs. The cuts came on the recommendation of Lin Chuang (林全), head of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.

Chao Kang (趙抗), an official at National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, said the council couldn't tighten its belt without hurting its performance.

For the past week, Chao has not missed any opportunity to greet lawmakers, humbly asking them to show sympathy.

The opposition alliance has proposed cutting about NT$100 million from the council's budget of NT$2.8 billion.

"With a budget so paltry, the council cannot afford the cut and, at the same time, actively promote athletic events," he said. Chao noted that last year's cut was only to NT$20 million.

Revenue for this year is projected to come in at NT$1.34 trillion, down NT$53.9 billion, or 3.9 percent, from last year -- the first time the country will register negative revenue growth in a decade.

Chao said he would keep calling on the legislature until the matter is settled.

By contrast, the Ministry of Finance -- an agency expected to spend NT$282.1 billion this year -- appears more at ease with a suggested cut of NT$1.2 billion.

Though eager to show humility, Lee Tshy-lang (李次郎), director of the ministry's general affairs department, portrayed the cut as acceptable, if not satisfactory.

"It's unrealistic to expect the legislature to leave spending unchanged," Lee said, noting that the ministry's budget normally emerges from review 2 percent thinner.