The Ministry of Agriculture has estimated that agricultural losses caused by Typhoon Danas totaled NT$1.6 billion (US$54.72 million). During the last legislative session, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators jointly cut the ministry’s budget for this year’s agricultural special income fund by NT$90 million, which would inevitably impact the government’s distribution of agricultural disaster relief funds.
Additionally, disaster relief funds, which fall under the agricultural special income fund, have in recent years consistently faced budget shortfalls due to frequent natural disasters. As a result, the ministry has had to apply for permission from the Executive Yuan to access allocations from the secondary reserve fund.
However, Article 22 of the Budget Act (預算法) states: “No reserve funds shall be used for any budget items deleted or budget amount cut down by the Legislative Yuan at the review unless used for Allocations for Legal Expenses or otherwise agreed upon by the Legislative Yuan.”
Therefore, if disaster relief funds were to run empty, it would be impossible to employ the secondary reserve fund to fill in budgetary gaps, which would lead to significant delays in relief fund disbursement. This raises the question — should farmers seek compensation from KMT and TPP legislators for the losses they suffer as a result of these budget cuts?
The agriculture ministry had proposed a budget of NT$169.2 billion for this year, but the Legislative Yuan cut NT$2 billion to eliminate the budget for items such as marketing and publicity, domestic and international travel expenses, and public budgets for supplementary funds.
Article 6 of the Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief Regulations (農業天然災害救助辦法) stipulates that — within seven days following a natural disaster — local agricultural authorities may consult with the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute to assist with conducting damage assessments.
Similarly, the operational guidelines for agricultural natural disaster relief require that random inspections be conducted by small teams composed of personnel from the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute and the Agriculture and Food Agency. With the travel budgets for these departments having been cut this year, how would on-site damage assessments be carried out? Are civil servants expected to pay for their own travel expenses?
KMT and TPP legislators arbitrarily slashed the budget, directly cutting disaster relief funds that provide the subsidies farmers urgently need. As a result, it would be impossible for farmers affected by natural disasters to resume work as soon as possible to sustain their livelihoods. KMT and TPP legislators have not only failed their constituents, but also brought shame to the office of legislators.
Yeh Yu-cheng is a secretary at the Pingtung County Public Health Bureau.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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