The Legislative Yuan today failed to reach a consensus on most articles of the three versions of the special defense budget bill proposed by the Executive Yuan, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).
The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and Finance Committee yesterday began article-by-article deliberations on three versions of the defense budget bill.
They were the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.21 billion) version, the KMT’s NT$380 billion version and the TPP’s NT$400 billion version.
Photo: Huang Ching-hsuan, Taipei Times
Only two provisions were passed, while the rest were reserved for cross-party negotiations.
The two articles passed were Article 2, which stipulates that the Ministry of National Defense is the competent authority, and Article 3 of the KMT’s version requiring procurement to follow the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法).
Before adjourning, the joint committee passed a supplementary resolution proposed by KMT lawmakers.
The motion requires the government to discuss individual procurement cases with the US and to report to the legislature.
“We will continue to make efforts,” Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said in response.
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