After lengthy wheeling and dealing, the legislature yesterday wrapped up review of the 2002 fiscal budget without barring the foreign ministry from printing the words "Issued in Taiwan'' on new passport covers.
The lawmaking body passed the government budget by paring NT$12 billion, or 0.7 percent, from the projected spending of NT$1.58 trillion for this year.
But opposition lawmakers agreed to tone down the language of a resolution that bans the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from altering the country's title shown on passports.
PHOTO: AFP
They noted that the upcoming addition of the English phrase "Issued in Taiwan" would not flout the resolution.
"Since the phrase will not appear right under or after the country's title, it will not cause confusion as we had warned," People First Party legislative leader Chou Hsi-wei (
A week ago, President Chen Shui-bian (
The announcement drew protest from the opposition alliance whose lawmakers had vowed to attach a rider to the budget bill barring the foreign ministry from amending the passport covers.
Going a step further, New Party legislator Elmer Fung (
Compromise came after the ministry agreed to add the English phrase "Issued in Taiwan" rather than "Taiwan" alone in Roman script to the new passport covers.
In a conciliatory gesture, the opposition-controlled legislature pared only NT$35 million from the ministry's funding.
The passage of the 2002 budget marked the end of the Fourth Legislature with newly elected lawmakers slated to take their oaths of office on Feb. 1.
Though the legislators approved a NT$16 billion fund aimed at providing senior citizens with a monthly allowance, they attached a clause requiring enactment of a welfare law before the money may be distributed.
The restriction emerged as a policy setback to the DPP government that has sought unsuccessfully for a second year to honor a key promise Chen made during his 2000 presidential campaign.
DPP legislative whip Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said he was pessimistic the allowance would ever be distributed, noting that the ruling party lacks the majority needed to give the fund a legal basis.
Still, during a dinner party with Cabinet officials, the president expressed satisfaction at the high number of bills passed.
He thanked all government agencies for putting in sustained efforts over the last months to push for passage of important legislation.
The legislative session, which concluded at 8pm, witnessed more than 170 bills made into law, despite its being shortened by one month before the legislative polls. A total of 112 lawmakers have vacated their offices or are preparing to do so, including those who have been sworn in as county commissioners or city mayors.
Though the budgetary cut came as the lowest in 10 years, the Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs issued a statement in the evening, saying it regretted the removal of NT$500 million from its projected spending.
Chen Yu-chiou (
She said the council would strive to maintain its quality of performance with the slashed budget.
By contrast, proposals to slash honorary benefits for former president Lee Teng-hui (
Due to time constraints, a number of high-profile bills, notably the proposals to establish a financial supervisory board and provide monetary compensation for former soldiers, did not make it to second and third readings.
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