TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee (立法院交通委員會) scrutinized the Ministry of Digital Affairs (數位發展部) budget on Thursday (Jan. 2), raising concerns over its substantial overseas travel expenses.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Legislator Lin Kuo-cheng (林國成) highlighted the ministry's allocation of NT$22.2 million for foreign travel this year, criticizing the vague description of NT$17.279 million earmarked for trips under the guise of "Connecting and Innovating Democratic Networks" (民主網路之連結與創新). Lin discovered that the proposal stated "attending events like the Hannover Industrial Fair," but it lacked specific details, leading to accusations of irresponsible budget drafting.
The TPP caucus accused the ministry of misusing funds for extravagant travel, pointing out the lack of clarity regarding international conference names, participating countries, and objectives. They argued that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) often emphasizes central financial difficulties, yet the ministry has allocated a large budget for international travel.
Additionally, the caucus questioned the ministry's general administrative budget. With 261 staff members, it allocated NT$39.038 million to hire 58 cleaning personnel, creating a staffing ratio of 1 to 4.5. The party sarcastically questioned why the staff could not maintain cleanliness without hiring so many cleaning personnel.
