The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it would boycott a presentation by Premier Lin Chuan (林全) at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei next week if the Executive Yuan does not revise the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program.
The Cabinet had earmarked NT$882.49 billion (US$28.84 billion) over eight years for the program, but the Special Act on the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program (前瞻基礎建設特別條例), which was passed on Wednesday, capped the budget for the first stage of the program at NT$420 billion over four years, so the program should be revised accordingly, KMT caucus convener Lin Te-fu (林德福) told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan.
The caucus would not endorse the program if the Executive Yuan’s proposal is merely “different packaging for the same product” and would not accept the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) arrangement for the premier to brief the legislature on the program during the second extraordinary session beginning on Wednesday, he said.
“The KMT caucus has always insisted that the budget’s size and time frame be halved, and that the program be returned to the Cabinet for review,” KMT Secretary-General Lin Wei-chou (林維洲) said, adding that the caucus’ next step would be to monitor the Executive Yuan’s planning of the budget.
The DPP government would be “flouting the law” if it formulates projects with time frames exceeding the four-year period stipulated in the act, he said.
KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said while the caucus is not entirely satisfied with Wednesday’s outcome, it has at least attained its preliminary goal of halving the budget.
“The main show comes next week, when the budgets will be reviewed,” Lee said.
The caucus would meticulously examine each budget request, in particular those for rail projects, which have been criticized by opponents as dubious, she said.
Three projects espoused by the KMT — ensuring food safety; addressing low birth rates; and nurturing talent and boosting employment — have been added to the program, Lee said, adding that KMT lawmakers would lodge protests if the Cabinet’s efforts to push the three projects were half-hearted.
KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) said the caucus believes that the budget allocated for rail construction should not exceed one-third of the overall budget, as the public has expressed concerns over the rail projects.
“Lawmakers have the right to freeze a budget and the KMT caucus is more than capable of halting the proceedings,” she said, adding that the Cabinet should not be so naive as to believe that the KMT would back a perfunctory budget proposal that simply cuts all funds earmarked for the projects by half.
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