The Presidential Office yesterday confirmed that it would request more discretionary funds for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) next year despite the country’s financial plight.
The Presidential Office emphasized that the amount was less than that requested during former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) two terms, adding that more money would give Ma more space to help the disadvantaged.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said that one year after Ma took office, they found the president’s “state affairs fund” should “be increased in a moderate fashion.”
While some legislators have proposed reinstating the original amount — NT$50 million (US$1.56 million) — Wang said that after considering the country’s financial situation and the needs of the disadvantaged, the president had decided to increase it from NT$30 million to NT$40 million.
The president’s discretionary fund was NT$50 million from 1982 to 2006, but was trimmed to NT$30 million in 2007 following allegations that Chen misused the fund.
Wang made the remarks in response to media inquiry about a report published by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) yesterday.
The report said that while the government’s expenditure was projected to contract 3.9 percent next year, the president’s “state affairs fund” would grow from NT$30 million to NT$40 million.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said it remained up to the legislature to finalize the budget for the “state affairs” fund, but added that the former Democratic Progressive Party administration had requested NT$50 million for the fund every year during its eight years in office.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said the scale of the budget increase should depend on the president’s administrative performance.
In other news, Ma yesterday said Taiwan must keep a low profile when dealing with Washington and develop “surprise-free” relations.
“The biggest difference between my administration and the former one is that if the US can improve relations with mainland China, we basically think it is conducive to Taiwan,” he said. “By the same token, if we can improve relations with the mainland, it is also conducive to the US. I believe we can create a win-win-win situation for all.”
Ma made the remarks while meeting new American Institute in Taiwan Director William Stanton at the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon.
Saying Stanton came at a “historically critical moment,” Ma described the Taiwan-US relations as “stable” and “full of expectations.”
Ma thanked the US for providing humanitarian assistance in the wake of Typhoon Morakot, including heavy-lift helicopters, cash donations and essential items.
He also extended appreciation to Washington for agreeing to sell defensive arms to Taipei, adding that the administration has ordered 60 Black Hawk helicopters and will lend 15 to the National Airborne Services Corps.
Ma’s remarks, however, differed from the ones he made during a press conference with foreign journalists on Aug. 18. Ma said that to better equip search and rescue teams, his administration would buy 45 Black Hawk helicopters, 15 fewer than the original plan. The NT$10 billion saved would be spent on improving the equipment of the National Airborne Services Corps.
Stanton, who learned Mandarin in Taiwan 22 years ago, declined the translation of Ma’s talk into English, saying in Mandarin that Ma’s “perfect” Mandarin was easy to understand.
Stanton said Washington appreciates the interest Ma was taking in strengthening US and Taiwan relations and has welcomed the approach Ma have taken as well.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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