In a dramatic reversal, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday approved the government’s NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) budget for the development and procurement of uncrewed vehicles until 2030.
The KMT caucus had earlier proposed cutting the entire budget and later said it was considering a freeze.
After negotiations, the KMT and TPP caucuses submitted a joint resolution instead.
Photo courtesy of the Penghu Defense Command via CNA
To bolster Taiwan’s drone industry and supply chain resilience, and establish the nation as an Asia-Pacific hub for democratic supply chains, the Executive Yuan’s six-year, NT$44.2 billion Unmanned Vehicle Industry Development Program would be approved, the opposition caucuses said in a resolution issued shortly before the budget vote.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs would coordinate efforts across government agencies to establish and implement the program, they added.
Building a complete industry supply chain requires establishing a framework covering research and development, production, procurement, talent development and a comprehensive legal system, the opposition said, adding that annual funding should not fluctuate significantly.
They called on the Cabinet to instruct the ministry to distribute the budget evenly over six years, with annual allocations not exceeding the average amount.
All related procurement must also comply with the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) and other regulations, the caucuses added.
Except for uncrewed systems procured for military purposes, the government’s drone purchases may be conducted under by the Regulation for the Implementation of Inter-entity Supply Contracts (共同供應契約實施辦法), the resolution said.
That would avoid duplicate budgets and improper subcontracting, as well as additional drone purchases without Executive Yuan approval, it said.
Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城) said the budget that the KMT caucus claimed to have approved was already intended by the Executive Yuan for military use and to support industrial upgrades, and should not have been cut in the first place.
He accused the KMT and the TPP of staging a political farce by proposing cuts and then hastily withdrawing them, saying they were misleading the public.
Lee called on the opposition to abandon political maneuvering and their “scripted performance,” and instead return to professional oversight.
He also urged them not to hold up urgently needed military equipment procurement during negotiations.
Taiwan’s critical defense industry and national security should not become casualties of partisan interests, Lee said.
Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu
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