Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials and opposition lawmakers yesterday traded barbs over slashes to agricultural subsidies after Typhoon Danas wreaked economic damage on farms.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Wang Yu-min (王育敏) and Ting Hseuh-chung (丁學忠) at a news conference earlier in the day urged the government to provide compensation to storm-struck farmers in Yunlin and Chiayi counties, and Tainan.
In response, DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said opposition lawmakers should take responsibility for slashing the Ministry of Agriculture’s NT$90 million (US$3.09 million) budget earmarked for the agricultural special income fund.
Photo: CNA
KMT Legislator Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡) during budget negotiations last year had initially proposed cutting the ministry’s budget to NT$1 until public backlash forced the opposition to walk back its plans, she said.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and TPP Legislator Chang Chi-kai (張?楷) replaced Chang Chia-chun’s proposal by slashing the fund, to the unanimous support of the KMT-TPP coalition, she said.
The opposition’s tactic is to cut essential budgets so it could play the role of the savior in crises of its own making, Wu said.
The agricultural special income fund was used for dealing with agricultural overproduction, not disaster relief, Chang Chi-kai said.
Wu’s comments were part of a DPP disinformation campaign to discredit the opposition parties, Chang Chi-kai said.
The Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement saying that officials have been truthful in all public statements they have made with reference to the budget cuts.
The agricultural special income fund the opposition parties canceled is explicitly utilized for disaster relief, among other types of subsidies.
Citing article 22 of the Budget Act (預算法), the ministry said officials are prohibited from using its reserve fund for budget items lawmakers have deleted or slashed.
The Legislative Yuan must make haste to vote to authorize the ministry to access its reserve funds for disaster relief, the ministry said.
Typhoon Danas caused an estimated NT$1.6 billion in economic damage to farmers, it said.
Separately, the DPP issued orders for party staffers and volunteers to mobilize from Monday for rolling rallies in support of the recall votes targeting KMT lawmakers scheduled for July 26 and Aug. 23.
Party workers are to campaign on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings on the street and in markets in the electoral districts affected by the recall votes, it said.
The KMT and the TPP have achieved significant progress in rallying the pan-blue base and DPP voters must come out to cast their ballots if the recalls are to succeed, Wu said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
RSS