The Executive Yuan today approved an NT$87.84 billion (US$2.929 billion) supplementary budget, funded by the surplus from this year’s original budget, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said.
The special budget would meet the continued financial needs of local governments and central government ministries’ budget measures, provide compensation for indigenous groups and improve benefits for military personnel, Cho said.
Hopefully, the Legislative Yuan supports the proposal, he added.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) put together the budget, allocating NT$63.65 billion as subsidies for local governments.
The next largest category is central government agencies and ministries, which are to be allocated NT$13.27 billion, followed by additional pay for military personnel at more than NT$5.94 billion.
The budget also sets aside NT$2.36 billion as compensation for logging bans on indigenous land, and NT$1.54 billion for the Central Election Commission due to the recall votes and referendum.
The central government’s total expenditure this year was set at NT$2.924 trillion, compared to revenues of NT$3.164 trillion, leading to a budget surplus of NT$239.8 billion.
After deducting debt repayment, the government would have a NT$98.3 billion balance, which would be used to fund the proposed supplementary expenses.
Government expenditures were cut by NT$200 billion this year, forcing the Executive Yuan to make further cuts of NT$63.6 billion, Cho said during today’s meeting, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) relayed in a news conference today.
Initially, the Executive Yuan proposed cuts to subsidies for local governments, but given the reliance on funding from the central government and maintaining their functions, the Executive Yuan chose to submit a special budget, Lee said.
Additional funding has been earmarked for the logging ban compensation, improved military benefits and managing this year’s voting, Cho said, calling on ministries and agencies to proactively explain this to the public and opposition parties so that the bills receive lawmakers’ support.
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