Forced to fight for Taipei City's budget, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (
Hau said that the city's finance department was drafting an amendment to the Subdivision of Financial Income and Expenditure Law (財政收支劃分法) to demand that the central government allocate NT$100 billion (NT$3 billion) more to local governments each year, which the Taiwan Provincial Government used to include in its budget until it was dissolved.
The city government will send the draft to the legislature before the new legislative session begins next month and ask lawmakers to make it a priority bill.
Hau said he would also demand that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
"Amending the law is the best solution to the problem, and the best way to implement local autonomy and improve local finances. I don't think anyone would oppose this," Hau said at Taipei City Hall.
In May the legislature passed an amendment, which paved the way for Taipei County's elevation to the status of a special municipality directly under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet. As a result, Taipei County Government is entitled to a share of the budget allotted to the Taipei and Kaohsiung city governments.
Opposed to sharing the city's budget with Taipei County, Hau said the city had lost NT$230 billion in budget over the past eight years, and his administration would not make any more compromises on budgetary issues.
Hau said the extra NT$100 billion budget would be sufficient to finance local development, and Taipei would only ask to keep its current level of funding, which was 43 percent of the total budget.
"Keeping the current percentage is our bottom line, but of course we will strive for an increase if possible," he said.
Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (
During a meeting with the Cabinet yesterday, Chou proposed that the central government subsidize all NT$60 billion to NT$65 billion he said the county deserved following its elevation in status.
The central government could also decide to subsidize the county's legal consolidated budget, and the county government would foot the rest of the bill, Chou said.
Minister Without Portfolio Lin Si-yao (林錫耀) rejected Chou's proposals, but said the Cabinet would invite the three governments to a meeting to discuss the issue.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
A KFC branch in Kaohsiung may be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,907 and US$6.37 million), after a customer yesterday found an entire AAA battery inside an egg tart, the Kaohsiung Department of Health said today. The customer was about to microwave a box of egg tarts they had bought at the fast-food restaurant’s Nanzih (楠梓) branch when they checked the bottom and saw a dark shadow inside one of them, they said in a Threads post. The customer filmed themself taking the egg tart apart to reveal an entire AAA battery inside, which apparently showed signs of damage. Surveillance footage showed
GROUP EFFORT: The number of inbound travelers rose 11 to 12 percent last month, with a significant increase in tourists from Europe and North America, an official said The government aims to attract 9.4 million visitors this year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, citing last year’s success in diversifying tourist markets. Taiwan last year drew about 8.57 million international arrivals, 72.3 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels. By contrast, the nation had about 18.94 million outbound tourists last year, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 level of 17.1 million. The estimated tourism revenue deficit was about NT$700.9 billion (US$22.22 billion). Taoyuan International Airport Corp expects more than 160,000 passengers to pass through the nation’s largest airport daily during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday. As of Jan. 30, the nation’s average hotel occupancy rate
RSS