The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus is poised to freeze a NT$44.2 billion (US$1.37 billion) six-year budget for drone industry development, modifying an earlier proposal to scrap the funding entirely, as the legislature aims to pass this year’s long-stalled general budget today.
If the budget does not pass today, all caucuses have agreed that an extra session would be held on Monday next week to continue to review the bill.
The KMT caucus said the Executive Yuan’s drone program, which was only approved on Oct. 19 last year, posed a risk that a large sum would be allocated, and use of the funds determined later.
Photo: CNA
The caucus had previously demanded that the Executive Yuan pause the program and had proposed removing all budget items for the program under this year’s general budget, only agreeing to put funding back on the table for the next fiscal year after the legislature completes its review.
It has now been a record 350 days since the Executive Yuan approved this year’s budget on Aug. 21 last year, and sent it to the legislature for review eight days later.
While the KMT has been working to reduce the number of proposals to slash or freeze funding to expedite the budget’s passage, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) reportedly wants to introduce more cuts.
The TPP has proposed to slash 2 percent of the entire budget, or NT$56.86 billion, including 60 percent of special budgets across all ministries.
The special budgets for 20 units are to be elimated, including the Control Yuan, the Judicial Yuan, the Executive Yuan and the National Development Council (NDC), it said.
Officials said that the budget being in limbo has not only affected the NT$75.2 billion for national defense, but has also affected funding for social welfare, major railway projects and high-tech supply chains.
National defense officials said that while jet and ship maintenance were still provided for per Article 54 of the Budget Act (預算法), new projects would not be able to proceed.
Officials said that the general budget being in limbo is preventing the government’s access to the first and second reserve funds, as well as the disaster reserve fund.
Access to the funds, which total NT$17 billion, could be vital, especially as Taiwan enters its typhoon season, when rapid response is critical, they said.
Subsidies for domestic travel and renovations of sports stadiums and facilities are also off limits due to the general budget being in limbo, they said.
People in the tech industry warned that the Executive Yuan’s 10 new major artificial intelligence construction projects are unable to launch ancillary measures as funding has been frozen, and that the delays could cause Taiwan to miss out on a critical phase for the development of the silicon photonics industry and co-packaged optics.
In addition, about 267 drone developers are having to pay out-of-pocket to transition to a non-China supply chain because funding for subsidies has been stalled, tech industry insiders said.
Entrepreneurs have also said that, with NDC funds being frozen, venture-capital companies are retracting investments, causing a wave of dissolving tech start-ups.
McDonald’s Taiwan today said it has halted sales of its limited edition Sea Flavor Fried Shrimp Burger and its double-patty version, after the importer notified the company last night that the shrimp patties contained nitrofurans — a group of synthetic antibiotics — and their metabolites. Sales of the shrimp burgers were suspended nationwide at 10:30am today and customers who purchased them yesterday or in the early hours of this morning would be eligible for refunds, the company said, adding that more details would be announced within a week. McDonald’s Taiwan said it was notified last night that subsequent batch testing had found
Two Chinese suspected to have illegally entered Taiwan are being held incommunicado, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday, after a rubber boat was found north of the Port of Taipei last month. An angler late last month discovered a rubber boat on a beach in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里), a member of the public wrote on Threads on Monday. The next day, the angler investigated the boat and discovered that it contained Chinese-made metal oil drums, toilet paper packaging with simplified Chinese characters, an empty soda bottle sold in China and three life jackets, the post said. The fisher reported
READY TO AID: The CGA has offered assistance to Chinese vessels in distress, and governments should help ships in emergencies no matter their nationality, the OAC said Taiwan yesterday condemned reported actions by the China Coast Guard against a Japanese patrol vessel attempting to shelter from Typhoon Dolphin, saying that emergency refuge should not be used to challenge Taiwan’s sovereignty or jurisdiction. Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Deputy Minister Sung Chen-en (宋承恩) made the remarks after reports that China Coast Guard vessel No. 2304 on Friday night tailed the Japan Coast Guard’s Urado (PL-86) as it sailed from waters off Taichung toward Penghu County to evade the typhoon. Penghu fishers said they also spotted China Coast Guard vessels numbered 2504, 2102, 2301 and 1401 around the Strait’s median
A delivery worker alliance and a labor union have filed criminal complaints against Uber Technologies Inc and Uber Eats Taiwan executives, accusing them of underpaying workers who handle multiple deliveries. The complaints, filed yesterday with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, target Uber Technologies CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber Eats Taiwan chairwoman Michelle Georgette Parker, the platform's Taiwan general manager and several local corporate representatives. The National Delivery Industry Union and an alliance promoting Taiwan food delivery industry rights accused Uber Eats of knowingly adopting an unlawful payment formula for so-called "stacked orders," in which a courier delivers two or more orders in a
RSS