TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) criticized the opposition's approach to budget reviews on Monday (Jan. 20), calling it malicious toward the government. He urged the opposition to heed public opinion and reconsider their stance. Legislators completed a historic NT$93.9 billion budget cut on Jan. 17, with 600 proposals still pending individual votes over the next two days.
Cho pointed out that the Legislative Yuan (立法院) currently faces over 700 proposals for cuts and freezes, totaling nearly NT$400 billion. He warned that these reductions could hinder the government's future administrative efforts. Cho called for reevaluating budgets that obstruct national development, withdrawing those affecting national security, and preserving cultural and anti-fraud team budgets.
He criticized Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) caucus leader Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) for their stance, arguing that budget cuts could impact crucial projects like public infrastructure and defense funding. Cho emphasized the government's responsibility to invest more in construction, especially with increased tax revenue, and criticized the opposition's NT$93.9 billion budget cut as excessive compared to previous years.
Cho noted an average budget cut of NT$29 billion over the past three years, with this year's minimum at NT$93.9 billion and a potential maximum exceeding NT$210 billion. He highlighted that the current cuts and freezes, amounting to over NT$260 billion, are nearly 20 times past levels, creating significant challenges for government operations.
