The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) plan to review and pass part of the central government’s general budget would be “a good job half done” if the rest of the budget remains shelved, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
The KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party reportedly planned to transfer several budget bills relevant to people’s livelihoods such as the TPass program or birth subsidies to legislative committees for review, after the total budget proposed by the central government for this fiscal year had been put on hold at the legislature due to dissatisfaction from the opposition parties that the Executive Yuan did not “properly” adjust military and police pay.
In response to media queries for comment, Lai yesterday said it is good for the KMT to realize the significance of the central government’s budget to people’s livelihoods.
Photo: CNA
However, it would be a good job half done if only portions of the budget are reviewed and passed, as they are interconnected, he said.
Economic developments would come to a halt if there is no defense budget to sustain national security, while public finance and people’s livelihoods would be affected if funding for economic developments is removed, Lai said.
The KMT should allow all the central government’s budget bills to be reviewed by relevant legislative committees and facilitate their passage at the legislature as soon as possible, he said.
Asked about the NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) special defense budget bill — which was blocked for the sixth time by opposition parties at a legislative meeting on Friday and could not enter committee meetings — Lai expressed gratitude to American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene for visiting opposition party leaders to help break the deadlock at the legislature.
That shows the international community values the security of Taiwan and cross-strait peace and stability, Lai said, adding that he hopes Greene’s effort was not a waste of time and the KMT would realize the importance of the defense budget.
KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) said the opposition is at least doing a good job half done while Lai “is far from good by doing nothing.”
“Have you [Lai] made an effort to negotiate with opposition parties to facilitate the passage of the total budget? Or that you just have been obsessed with political manipulation and blaming opposition parties every day?” she said.
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