Lawmakers yesterday passed the second reading of a motion that would authorize the disbursement of NT$71.8 billion (US$2.27 billion) for 38 projects under the central government budget.
The motion passed 54 to 29.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said that the legislature had approved early release of funds for the designated new capital expenditure and projects in this year’s central government budget, citing their “urgency and significant impact on public livelihood.”
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The projects include subsidies to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, funding for the T-Pass program, and flood control and water management initiatives.
The motion, proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), was fast-tracked to the second reading and cross-party negotiations on Jan. 16, bypassing committee review.
The opposition parties convened cross-party negotiations on Jan. 22, but failed to reach a consensus with the executive branch and ruling party lawmakers.
Lawmakers this morning reached a consensus to vote on the bill after a month-long cooling-off period.
Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said there is no precedent for splitting the general budget.
The central government budget and the special defense budget are designed as integrated administrative plans and should not be fragmented, Lee said, urging political parties to unite and engage in rational deliberations.
It is regrettable that the central government budget — which is essential for national construction and public services — has still not been referred to legislative committees for review, she said.
The budget bill should undergo three readings, according to Article 7 of the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), she said, calling the passage of the second reading of the motion unprecedented.
Citing the urgency of the new projects, she urged legislative caucuses across party lines to begin substantive review of the general budget as soon as possible and complete the required legal procedures.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS