The Legislative Yuan is to send the Executive Yuan’s version of the special defense budget to its plenary session on Friday next week, after a cross-party consensus was reached today.
The parties concluded that the Cabinet’s version is to be reviewed alongside the Taiwan People Party’s (TPP) version in the Foreign and National Defense and Finance committees.
Other proposals should be proposed before Thursday next week, they added.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Lawmakers also agreed not to file a motion of reconsideration.
President William Lai (賴清德) in November last year announced a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.76 billion) special defense budget to be allocated over eight years, including arms purchases from the US.
Opposition lawmakers have refused to deliberate the proposal, citing a lack of clarity on the proposal.
The TPP last month submitted its own version that would allocate NT$400 billion for certain weapons systems, while the KMT has also said it would propose a version.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a legislative meeting, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) today said that letters of offer and acceptance (LOA) from the US for three major arms purchases are set to expire on March 15.
The potential purchases include tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missiles; Javelin anti-armor missiles; and M109A7 self-propelled howitzers.
Given that budget allocations might not be completed in time, Koo urged the committees to authorize the ministry to sign the LOAs with the US before the budget is formally approved to prevent delays or the potential cancelation of the procurement.
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday said the Democratic Progressive Party bears the greatest responsibility for delays in arms purchases, accusing the party of failing to share details of the deals or US tariff negotiations with the legislature.
The KMT would take the initiative to secure reasonable and necessary arms purchases with its own version of the bill, she said, adding that the party hopes to communicate with the US.
Before delivering a policy address at the legislature today, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told reporters that it would be inappropriate for opposition parties to take the lead on the matter, which should be handled by the Ministry of National Defense and the Executive Yuan.
However, he said he welcomes parties taking a step forward hand-in-hand with the government.
The special budget should incorporate items that safeguard national security and defense autonomy, drive local industrial growth and cater to the needs of the national defense industry, he said.
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