The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed a special budget bill aimed at bolstering economic, social and national security resilience that includes funding for a proposed NT$10,000 (US$326) cash handout to members of the public.
The distribution of the cash handout is expected to begin early next month, Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) said, adding that details would be announced on the same day the president signs the budget into effect.
Foreign nationals with permanent residency or those married to Taiwanese nationals are eligible for the NT$10,000 cash handouts, the Cabinet has said.
Photo: CNA
The Cabinet approved the NT$550 billion special budget on Sept. 11, with NT$236 billion earmarked for the cash handout and NT$20 billion for reserve funds for future industrial support.
The Legislative Yuan’s finance and other committees conducted a joint review before forwarding the bill for cross-party negotiations.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) convened cross-party talks on Wednesday, during which eight proposals were marked for a vote, including a NT$200 million cut to national defense capacity-building, a NT$2 billion freeze on subsidies to labor and health insurance funds, and a reduction in media promotion expenses.
Lawmakers yesterday approved a revised version of the Cabinet’s NT$550 billion special budget, cutting a total of NT$5.3 billion.
The final budget is NT$544.7 billion, with key allocations for social welfare, industry support and labor protection remaining intact.
Most reductions came from defense spending, including the Ministry of National Defense’s bottled-water procurement plan, which drew public criticism for its high costs and vague logistics.
Lawmakers cut NT$400 million from the plan, reducing its total to about NT$390 million, after saying that the NT$120 price tag for each bottle was “wasteful.”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) said earlier this month that the ministry should focus on combat readiness and supply-chain resilience rather than funding an “opaque” program.
The defense ministry said that the plan aimed to ensure a stable supply of safe drinking water during emergencies and overseas missions, adding that the bottles, imported from Japan, could be stored for up to five years.
However, the ministry later found local manufacturers that could produce similar drinking water and accepted the reduced funding after consulting suppliers and holding cross-party negotiations.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) yesterday criticized what she described as “excessive” cuts to defense-related spending, warning that foreign forces could take advantage of Taiwan’s defense vulnerabilities to act if an opportunity arises.
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