The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) on Sunday defended its decision to increase the budget for next month’s Double Ten National Day celebrations, adding that the festive events would boost tourism along the nation’s east coast.
The National Day fireworks display is to be held in Taitung this year after it had been suspended for two years and the National Day celebration dinner is to be held in Taichung following a six-year hiatus, the ministry said.
The ministry last year budgeted NT$20.22 million (US$671,738 at the current exchange rate) for this year’s National Day celebrations, People First Party Legislator Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔) said.
However, as the fireworks display and the celebration dinner would be resumed this year, the budget has risen by NT$30 million, she said.
The legislature in 2014 passed a resolution stipulating that the government should reduce the expenditure for National Day celebrations as much as possible in view of financial constraints and the weak economic situation, Chen said.
The resolution also states that the cost of festivities must not exceed NT$32.5 million, she said.
Not only does this year’s cost far exceed the allocated budget, but the ministry has also budgeted NT$45 million for next year’s National Day celebrations, Chen said, adding that she would propose cutting the budget by NT$20 million in the upcoming legislative session.
The total cost of this year’s celebrations is NT$53.85 million, which includes the fireworks display (NT$10 million), celebration dinner (NT$15 million), National Day ceremony (NT$24.99 million) and miscellaneous costs (NT$3.86 million), ministry sources said.
The cost of the celebration dinner would be shared by the Overseas Community Affairs Council, the Ministry of Culture and the Taichung City Government, while the interior ministry would cover the rest of the costs, they said.
The budget for National Day celebrations last year dwindled to about NT$20 million, which shows complete disregard for state-organized festivities, said Deputy Minister of the Interior Hua Ching-chun (花敬群), who is the secretary-general of the National Day Preparatory Committee.
The National Day celebrations can unite the public, Hua said, adding that people should look at the celebrations’ positive effects rather than their downsides.
The interior ministry had only budgeted NT$20.22 million for this year’s National Day celebrations because there was no budget for a fireworks display, Hua said.
The Cabinet’s secondary reserve fund would be used to pay for the additional costs.
Firework displays would boost tourism along the nation’s east coast, which could produce multiple benefits, he said.
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