An Executive Yuan official yesterday urged the legislature to review the budget for fiscal year 2025 as soon as possible, as it involves funds for cancer drugs, submarine construction, salary increases and other important measures.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party caucuses on Friday last week sent the proposed budget to the Procedure Committee, which yesterday excluded it from its legislative agenda for this week and on Tuesday next week.
However, the budget includes important items such as funds for cancer drugs and construction of indigenous submarines, a 3 percent salary increase for military, public and education personnel, and flood planning for local governments after Typhoon Gaemi, the official who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
Photo: CNA
The official added that NT$120 billion (US$3.75 billion) of the budget is dedicated to subsidizing the Labor Insurance Fund.
Taiwan Power Co could run at a deficit or even face closure next year, as NT$100 billion of its budget would “vanish” if the central government budget does not pass, the official said.
No new programs proposed this year would be realized without a budget, and the first, secondary and disaster reserve funds could not be used, the official added.
The situation might escalate into a virtual no-confidence motion if the budget is sent back to the Cabinet, as it means the legislature does not trust the Executive Yuan, the official said.
The Cabinet expects the budget to be fully discussed and reviewed by the committee, and would continue to communicate with the legislature, the person added.
Separately yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus secretary-general Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) told a news conference that KMT legislators were taking matters out of context by comparing the current situation to the DPP’s proposal to send back the budget in 2008.
The case in 2008 served as a warning against overestimating economic growth amid a financial crisis, she said.
The DPP caucus “could not and would not” have sent back the budget in 2008, as the party was a minority with only 27 seats in the legislature, she said.
DPP Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said that economic growth in 2008 was expected to be as high as 5.08 percent, but actually slid 1.61 percent.
The DPP proposed returning the budget simply to emphasize the financial problem, and in the end it did not send the budget back to the Procedure Committee, Tsai added.
Additional reporting by CNA
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS