Many overseas missions might have to shut down by June 30, as the Legislative Yuan has frozen 50 percent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ general affairs budget for this year, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday
When asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Huang Jen (黃仁) why the ministry has yet to submit a proposal to unfreeze the budget in April as it used to do, Lin said the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has to integrate all proposals to unfreeze the budgets of government agencies before presenting it for negotiation with the legislature.
Moreover, proposals to unfreeze the budgets this year would have to be conducted at full plenary sessions instead of the usual practice of having legislative committees review them, he said.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that while the KMT caucus did reduce the amount it planned to slash from 70 percent to 50 percent, it also said the ministry cannot propose that the frozen budget be unlocked “until 30 percent of the [approved] budget has been executed.”
Lin asked whether the ministry has implemented more than 30 percent of the budget, to which Lin said “probably not.”
On average, about 30 percent of the annual budget would have been spent by the end of the fourth month of the year at the earliest, he said, adding that it is difficult to accurately execute 30 percent of the budget without taking into consideration the frozen part of the budget.
Moreover, as there is a time limit on the legislative session, many programs would not be able to take off if the budget remains frozen, including many international collaborations, Lin said.
To facilitate the process, he suggested that the legislature return the power to approve proposals to unfreeze budgets to legislative committees.
With 50 percent of the ministry’s general affairs budget frozen, many overseas missions could not pay their utility expenses or contract workers, and might have to shut down by June 30, he said, adding that it would be a huge national loss.
Asked about the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ statement that the budget cuts could affect its stock of passports, Lin confirmed that the bureau would not be able to print more passports by October due to the budget cuts and freezes.
DPP Legislator Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) said with NT$120 million (US$3.7 million) cut from the bureau’s budget, its supply of passports would be limited to 1.85 million.
If the number of passport application were to spike this year, its supply would be tight by the end of October, he said.
Bureau Deputy Director Chen Shang-yu (陳尚友) said about 690,000 passports were granted from January to last month, while the total number for the whole year is projected to be 2.09 million, implying a potential shortage of 150,000 to 200,000 passports this year.
Asked whether the safety stock is enough to address the potential shortage, he said the total safety stock is about 400,000 to 500,000 passports and might run out by the end of October.
The bureau would discuss the issue with passport suppliers and might invite tenders earlier this year if need be, he said.
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