The Executive Yuan yesterday approved an initial NT$295 billion (US$9.32 billion) special defense budget for a package of weapons already approved for sale to Taiwan by the US, and is being sent to the Legislative Yuan for a final review.
The budget request earmarks about NT$8.8 billion for this year, which would be covered by government borrowing under the Fiscal Discipline Act (財政紀律法).
The budget includes five procurement items: High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, anti-armor drone weapon systems, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided 2B anti-armor missiles, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The proposal was approved after the Legislative Yuan passed a special act earlier this month authorizing up to NT$780 billion in spending on two batches of US arms purchases between this year and 2033.
Under the act, funding for the first batch of weapons purchases approved by the US in December last year is capped at NT$300 billion. The Cabinet’s proposal is to request almost all of that amount.
The Legislative Yuan is set to expedite the review of the first batch of arms procurements.
Cho reported to the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday regarding the first phase of the special defense procurement budget.
Lawmakers had reached a consensus allowing it to proceed with drafting a budget under the special law aimed at bolstering national security and asymmetric defense capabilities, and agreed to continue the briefing on the budget yesterday afternoon.
With the first payment for the HIMARS due on May 31, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said that if the budget has not yet been approved by then, the government would invoke Article 84 of the Budget Act (預算法) to seek approval for payment.
Special budgets could be appropriated “in response to emergency needs,” the article states.
Given the time constraint, the Legislative Yuan has accelerated its review process, with the legislature’s Finance Committee tentatively scheduling hearings for Monday next week, followed by a review and handling of the proposal on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
Cho urged all lawmakers to support the bill, so that it could pass as quickly as possible to safeguard national security, and maintain regional peace and stability.
Under the special act passed by the Legislative Yuan, although spending caps were approved, procurement proposals are still subject to final legislative review.
The act’s spending cap for a second arms package expected to be announced by Washington was NT$480 billion.
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