Sat, Jan 18, 2025 page3

• KMT proposes 3.47% cut to budget

  • By Lin Hsin-han and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus would cut NT$111.1 billion (US$3.37 billion) from the central government’s total budget and also oppose the Executive Yuan’s proposal to subsidize the deficit of Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) with NT$100 billion, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi said yesterday.

  Fu made the remarks at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan following intensive cross-party negotiations over the central government’s proposed budget this week.

  The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) asked for a record-high total budget of NT$3.2 trillion, but much of that is unnecessary, Fu said.

  

  Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi, front center, speaks at a news conference with caucus deputy secretary-general Wang Hung-wei, front second left, at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

  The KMT caucus would reduce the budget by cutting a total of NT$111.1 billion, or 3.47 percent, a proportion in line with usual practice, he said.

  The KMT caucus would support necessary programs and reduce unnecessary waste for the benefit of the public, he said.

  Fu cited Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) as telling the legislature that NT$200 million would be enough for the submarine budget.

  However, the submarine budget has ballooned to NT$2 billion, so the KMT caucus would “freeze” this unnecessary expense, he said, adding that freezing means increasing supervision rather than scrapping the budget.

  Regarding the NT$100 billion subsidy proposed by the Executive Yuan for Taipower’s deficit, Fu said the DPP should not exploit taxpayers to subsidize Taipower, especially when most industries are having a difficult time making a profit.

  The DPP’s energy policy is corrupt and should be modified, he said, adding that it is causing electricity prices to soar and forcing companies to leave Taiwan and develop overseas.

  The advancement of the artificial intelligence industry leads to increased power usage globally, but the DPP is using a bad policy to cover up its corruption and monopolize Taipower, which is preventing Taiwan from keeping up with the rest of the world, Fu said.

  Taiwan must attract businesses from around the world and convince them to stay in Taiwan, which requires preventing electricity prices from rising, he said.

  However, the NT$100 billion subsidy for Taipower must be cut, as it is a wrong policy, Fu said, adding that the KMT would not agree to let the DPP ask for so much from the taxpayers.

  The KMT would also strictly oversee and delete the government’s propaganda budget, he said.

  As the DPP tends to use the Executive Yuan’s budgets “to buy cyberwarrior services,” the KMT would tighten supervision and freeze such budgets to divert the money into policies that can benefit people, Fu said.

  Fu stressed that such budgets are being frozen and not cut, adding that the public should not be misled by rumors created by the DPP’s cyberwarriors to brainwash people.
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