Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday rejected a proposal that the central government should assume all debts incurred before the four special municipalities came into being.
Greater Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) made the suggestion at the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday. According to an official attending the meeting who wished to remain anonymous, Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) seconded Liu’s suggestion, followed by Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強), who first raised the idea a few days ago.
Local finances have become a major concern after four special municipalities came into being on Dec. 25 last year.
The government plans to amend the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) and increase the budget allocated to the five municipalities from 43 percent to 61 percent.
Heads of other local governments, including Yunlin, Yilan and Chiayi counties, have expressed concern that their counties’ finances will suffer as a result of the bill.
Rejecting Liu’s proposal, the premier was quoted by Executive Yuan Spokesman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) as saying: “Fund shortages are not a problem unique to the five special municipalities, but a problem faced by governments at all levels.”
According to the same official, Lai asked for an additional grant from the central government, noting that Greater Tainan faced a shortage of up to NT$12 billion (US$409.4 million) in funds in the run-up to the Lunar New Year to cover expenses in project payments, year-end bonuses and salaries for government employees.
Lai also expressed dissatisfaction over the central government agreeing to cover the National Health Insurance premiums owed by Taipei City and the previous Kaohsiung City governments to the Bureau of National Health Insurance, according to the official. Lai demanded that the central government appropriate funds for the special municipalities to pay their shares of premiums accrued from the farmers’ insurance program.
Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) urged the central government to pay more attention to the financial health of local governments and establish a mechanism to encourage local governments to increase tax revenue.
Commenting on Liu’s suggestion that the central government should take over all debt prior to the merger, Hau said: “Local governments should not ask the central government to shoulder all of their financial burdens, but the central government should establish a mechanism to reward those local governments that come up with ways to increase city revenue without depending on subsidies from the central government.”
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday announced a ban on all current and former government officials from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing is to hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united
RSS