TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) called Monday (Sept. 8) for urgent amendments to Taiwan's fiscal allocation laws after discovering a devastating NT$4.6 billion (around US$152 million) budget shortfall. Chou petitioned the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's cabinet, arguing that recent legislative changes failed to deliver promised tax increases for her southern county. The magistrate voiced her frustrations on Facebook, highlighting the widening financial gap threatening local government operations.
Chou traveled to the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's cabinet, seeking clarification on central government subsidies while demanding legal reforms for equitable local government treatment. The magistrate revealed that Pingtung's allocated tax revenue for fiscal year 115 rose by NT$14.1 billion (around US$465 million) to NT$26.4 billion (around US$871 million). Despite this increase, the county's 114% growth rate ranked lowest among Taiwan's non-six special municipalities, a designation for major urban centers.
The county magistrate highlighted that next year's general grants for Pingtung were slashed to NT$11.2 billion (around US$370 million), representing an NT$8 billion (around US$264 million) decrease. This reduction marked the steepest cut among Taiwan's non-six special municipalities. Planned subsidies plummeted to NT$600 million (around US$20 million), down NT$10.7 billion (around US$353 million), making it the second-largest reduction in this municipal category.
Chou exposed stark disparities in tax revenue allocations across Taiwan's counties and cities, citing dramatic increases elsewhere. Taipei City received increases from NT$69.7 billion (around US$2.3 billion) to NT$114.9 billion (around US$3.8 billion), while Hsinchu County jumped from NT$6.8 billion (around US$224 million) to NT$24.5 billion (around US$809 million). Eastern counties Hualien and Taitung experienced growth exceeding 200%, prompting Chou to question the allocation standards and express concerns about systemic fairness.
