TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), head of the island's executive branch of government, announced Tuesday (April 22) that public sector employees will receive a long-awaited 3% salary increase in May. Members of Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan (立法院), grilled Cho about the delayed implementation during a tense legislative session. Legislators from both major political parties — Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) and Lin I-chin (林宜瑾) from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) — voiced frustration over the postponement.
Premier Cho defended the delay, attributing it to complications arising from a budget reconsideration proposal that impeded the salary adjustment's implementation. Taiwan's cabinet, the Executive Yuan (行政院), faced procedural obstacles after funding for contract employees was eliminated from operational budgets. Cho pledged that a comprehensive 3% raise covering all government employees — military personnel, civil servants, teachers, and contract workers — would be formally proposed next month. The cabinet also intends to request a constitutional interpretation concerning both the disputed budget proposal and the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法).
Opposition legislator Weng expressed particular dismay over the postponement of various compensation components, including base salaries, allowances, and performance bonuses, pointedly noting the irony of the government causing delays as an employer. Premier Cho pushed back firmly against these criticisms, maintaining that budget cuts had created significant administrative uncertainty. He insisted that Taiwan's cabinet should not bear responsibility for the situation and dismissed Weng's arguments as reflecting an inadequate understanding of the relevant legal frameworks. ★
