The special resilience budget, which includes funding for NT$10,000 (US$327.39) cash handouts for the public, is set to proceed to its third reading on Friday after a consensus was reached in a cross-party negotiations today.
The government is to "execute the cash distribution as quickly as possible" after the special act passes its third reading and is promulgated by the president, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) previously said.
The Cabinet on Sept. 11 approved a NT$550 billion budget, based on the newly amended Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例), which stipulated a budget ceiling of NT$570 billion.
Photo: Taipei Times
The NT$550 billion budget includes NT$236 billion for cash handouts, while NT$20 billion would be reserved for future industrial support.
The special budget passed its initial review at the legislature on Thursday last week.
All three major party caucuses today agreed that the budget is to proceed to its third reading at the legislature on Friday, while the legislature is not to request a reconsideration of the bill.
The party caucuses are to hand in their proposals regarding the special budget to the Finance Committee by noon tomorrow and proceed to cross-party negotiation in the afternoon.
There would also be no interpellation during the plenary session on Friday.
The session would not handle impromptu motions, but only bills that do not require negotiations.
The Executive Yuan has started preparing for ensuing relevant procedures, Lee has said.
The disbursement of cash handouts has to begin one month after the bill is promulgated, Lee said, citing Article 9 of the special act.
Additional reporting by Fang Wei-li and Esme Yeh
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
RSS