TAIPEI (TVBS News) — J.W. Kuo (郭智輝), the Minister of Economic Affairs, expressed concerns on Thursday (Jan. 23) that the significant cuts to the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電公司), coupled with the deficit reported by the Taiwan Water Corporation (台水公司), may lead local governments to shoulder the costs of the "Air Conditioning for Every Class" (班班有冷氣) initiative.
Legislators slashed nearly NT$210 billion from Taiwan's central government budget on Tuesday (Jan. 21), affecting every department. Kuo highlighted the economic ministry's need to reduce its contracted workforce by hundreds due to the budget cuts. He warned that the reduced funds for utilities could force government offices to close by September or October. The economics minister also noted that the cuts to the Water Resources Agency's (水利署) budget might increase the risk of flooding due to insufficient resources for gate operation and maintenance.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) addressed the media after the Cabinet meeting, revealing that NT$8.4 billion had been cut from the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) budget, with an additional NT$90 billion frozen. Cho emphasized that the frozen funds, which account for 30% of the ministry's business expenses, including weapons procurement and logistics, could severely impact national security and the safety of military operations.
As Taiwan faces these budgetary challenges, the government must navigate the potential consequences on public services and national defense.
