TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Executive Yuan approved Taiwan's 2025 central government budget on Thursday (Aug. 22), allocating NT$100 billion to Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台灣電力公司) and sending the budget to the Legislative Yuan for review.
The budget includes NT$130 billion for labor insurance, incorporating post-pandemic special funds, and proposes a health insurance financial assistance plan worth NT$33.6 billion. The total revenue for the 2025 budget is NT$3.15 trillion, with expenditures at NT$3.13 trillion, resulting in a surplus of NT$20.9 billion.
Minister of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics, Chen Shu-tzu (陳淑姿), stated the budget aims to balance infrastructure, cross-domain innovation, net-zero transformation, social security, future investments, health, and national defense. It also continues to provide financial aid to local governments.
The budget includes NT$70.6 billion in debt and NT$160.7 billion in special funds, totaling NT$231.3 billion, which is 6.9% of total expenditures. Chen estimated that by the end of 2025, the cumulative outstanding debt will reach NT$6.8 trillion, accounting for 28.6% of the average nominal GDP over the past three years, a decrease of 1.1 percentage points from 2023.
The health insurance financial assistance plan includes NT$14.4 billion for increased government budget contributions, with Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) explaining that the total government assistance for health insurance amounts to NT$33.6 billion.
These financial decisions highlight the government's commitment to addressing post-pandemic challenges and investing in Taiwan's future. The Legislative Yuan will now review the proposed budget, potentially impacting various sectors across the nation.
