Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (
"System analyses for these three weapon systems are scheduled to be completed in early March. What comes next is the proposal for the budget for these items. This will take two months at least," he said.
"Considering the work pro-gress, it is impossible to have the budget request for these items ready before the presidential inauguration on May 20," he said.
Tang made the remarks in response to questions from opposition lawmakers in the legislature yesterday.
It was the second time in a week that Tang denied the Ministry of National Defense was planning a budget request for the weapon systems -- which include eight diesel-electric submarines, 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and three batteries of Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile system -- before the elections or the inauguration.
The first time he denied the budget request was ready, he said it would be finished before March 20. Yesterday he said it would be done sometime before May 20.
Several pro-unification news-papers have quoted a single source in the US as saying the defense ministry was speeding up work on the budget request in an attempt to win support from the US for President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) re-election bid.
Tang told lawmakers the budget request will be between NT$500 billion and NT$700 billion.
"I am not able to give the exact figure since it will make us lose leverage in negotiations with the US for the final price tag," he said.
The higher price range is generally considered to be more likely, since the eight submarines alone are estimated to cost at least NT$400 billion.
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