The Executive Yuan would file for a constitutional interpretation regarding the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditure (財政收支劃分法) the Legislative Yuan passed on Friday, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said.
The amendments would undermine the government’s stability and be detrimental to its fiscal discipline, he wrote on Facebook on Friday evening.
In response to this year’s central government budget being cut, and being required to adjust and reduce NT$63.6 billion (US$2.04 billion), the Executive Yuan decided to cut general subsidies to local governments by 25 percent.
Photo: Taipei Times
The move incurred the ire of the opposition parties, who pushed the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) version of proposed amendments to the act 59 votes to 50.
The amendments stipulate that general subsidies from the central government to local governments should not be less than those of the previous fiscal year.
The amendments also stipulate that central government subsidies to local governments for projects should not be less than the average amount given to projects in administrative regions in the same income bracket over the past decade.
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) said the amendments were intended to correct mistakes and ensure that local governments receive their dues.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said the cut to the budget should have been deducted from ministries, but the Cabinet instead deducted the sum from local government subsidies.
The Executive Yuan said it intended to propose a counter-amendment, but it has not yet been introduced, she added.
An Executive Yuan official yesterday on condition of anonymity said that the centrally funded tax revenues distributed to local governments for fiscal 2026 have already reached NT$416.5 billion, raising a debt of NT$299.2 billion.
If the government observes amendments passed on Friday and maintains the same level of subsidies, which stood at NT$545.5 billion this year, the government would have to raise NT$264.6 billion in debt, placing total government debt in fiscal 2026 at NT$563.8 billion, or 17.1 percent of annual government expenditure, they said.
Such an amount exceeds the legally mandated ceiling per the Public Debt Act (公共債務法) and undermines the government’s fiscal discipline, they added.
The Executive Yuan would introduce its own proposed version of amendments to the budget act as soon as Thursday, they said.
Democratic Progressive Party caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) yesterday said the Executive Yuan should first come up with its own amendments to see if the opposition parties were open to discussion.
Were such attempts to fall through, “it is possible the president not to promulgate the amendments [passed on Friday], or the premier not to cosign the amendment,” she said.
Chen also urged member of the public to contact Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and demand him not proceed the amendments.
Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS