The budget cuts and freezes being proposed by opposition lawmakers could heavily disrupt government operations in many areas, several ministers warned today at a press conference in Taipei.
Cross-strait tourist exchanges could come to a complete halt as Taipei’s representative offices in Hong Kong and Macau might have to shut down and the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) would not be able to process the application of Chinese nationals coming to Taiwan if proposed budget cuts were to be passed, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said.
There are 365,000 families with Chinese spouses, more than 50,000 Hong Kong residents and 10,000 students from Hong Kong, Macau and China staying in Taiwan, while around 70,000 Taiwanese nationals are staying in Hong Kong, Chiu said, warning that the rights of these people could be severely affected.
Photo courtesy of the Executive Yuan
Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) said the proposed amount of budget cuts and the amount to be frozen would be equivalent to 44 percent of the ministry’s total budget, which would have a severe impact on the military’s warfare capabilities and threaten national security.
Regarding the opposition’s threat to cut the entire Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) supplementary budget, which reached a combined NT$200 billion (US$6.07 billion) for 2024 and 2025 combined, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo said subsidies for Taipower directly benefit all citizens by stabilizing household energy prices.
If Taipower does not receive NT$100 billion for the year, its finances would face challenges and could impact projects like watershed management and energy efficiency improvements, while also undermining economic growth, Kuo said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) expressed concern that the ministry’s NT$230 million anti-fraud budget would be impacted by proposed cuts, saying that this would be equivalent to surrendering to fraudsters.
He also warned against a proposed NT$100 million cut to the firefighting budget, stating that the NT$250 million allocated for equipment is essential for reducing risks and protecting both firefighters and citizens.
The proposal to eliminate NT$12.345 million earmarked for media outreach would hinder the government’s ability to explain important decisions and raise public awareness, Deputy Minister of Justice Hsu Hsi-hsiang (徐錫祥) said.
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) warned that if 70 percent of the NSTC budget were to be frozen, the operation of science parks across the country would be disrupted in April, which would have a profound impact on Taiwan’s scientific research.
This would be unprecedented since the science parks were established 50 years ago.
Agriculture Deputy Minister Hu Jong-i (胡忠一) said that the proposed 40-percent cuts to the Ministry of Agriculture's administrative budget would mean basic services, including phone lines and fax machines, would no longer function.
Hu said that the budget also supports essential programs including elderly farmer subsidies supporting 520,000 people, occupational insurance for 340,000 farmers, product traceability systems and inspections of imported feeds and additives.
The cuts would thus "directly impact consumer safety," the agriculture minister said.
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
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