The Education and Culture Committee today voted to fully unfreeze a total of NT$646.81 million (US$21.45 million) of the National Palace Museum’s budget for this year, although planned renovations may require a separate written proposal.
While the museum has a total budget of NT$3.2 billion, more than 20 percent, or NT$646.81 million, was frozen, significantly surpassing a 2.5-percent freeze made three years ago in the museum’s budget.
The largest frozen budget item was the more than NT$350 million allocated to renovations and upgrades.
Photo: Chen Yu-hsun, Taipei Times
The original budget for the renovation plan was more than NT$1.8 billion.
The planned renovations had caused bipartisan concerns, with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) still expressing doubts about plans to construct a glass pavilion and potentially case a sharp increase in electricity bills.
KMT Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) expressed her support for unfreezing the museum’s budget, but said the museum should look to provide a clearer explanation of the proposal.
The current report on renovations only explains the current progress of the project’s implementation, she said, adding that a written report should be submitted within a month in response to lawmakers’ questions today.
The museum’s employees could now have a less burdened mind and perform their duties in accordance with established procedures after the budget is unfrozen, museum director Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) said today, according to Radio Taiwan International.
In December last year, lawmakers froze a portion of the museum’s budget due to concerns regarding renovation plans, counterfeit items and the then-upcoming centennial celebration.
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