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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Taiwan Ruling Party, Opposition Clash Over Disaster Relief Funds

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Taiwan's ruling party criticizes the executive branch for lacking funds for disaster relief, suggesting funds could be reallocated.
  • The executive branch states that disaster relief funds, like reserve funds, require the central government's budget to be passed before they can be accessed.
  • The opposition party argues that existing laws allow for the reallocation of funds for disaster relief even before the budget is approved, accusing the government of creating panic.

Taiwan's legislature is locked in a dispute over disaster relief funding, with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) trading accusations. President Lai Ching-te urged the legislature to pass the central government's budget quickly, warning that a lack of funds could hinder disaster relief efforts.

Disaster prevention and relief work is urgent, and financial resources must be in place in a timely manner, but the disaster preparation fund and the second reserve fund that can be directly used for disaster relief are not within the scope of continuous projects and must wait until the central government's budget is passed before they can be used.

— Executive YuanThe Executive Yuan explained the necessity of passing the central government's budget before accessing disaster relief funds.

The KMT criticized the president's remarks as political deflection, suggesting that existing mechanisms allow for the reallocation of funds for urgent needs. The KMT pointed to provisions in the Budget Act that permit the use of certain funds for legal obligations and ongoing projects even before the full budget is approved. They also noted that local governments have their own disaster reserve funds.

The Executive Yuan responded by emphasizing that crucial funds for disaster preparedness, such as the "disaster preparation fund" and "second reserve fund," are not part of ongoing projects and can only be accessed after the central government's budget is passed. They highlighted that the budget has been pending for 302 days and urged the legislature to expedite its review to ensure timely financial support for disaster response and recovery.

Disaster prevention and relief is not only about one budget or one tool. If the disaster relief funds are insufficient, they can still be reallocated according to the "Disaster Prevention and Relief Act."

— KuomintangThe Kuomintang argued that the government has other options for disaster relief funding.

The KMT countered that disaster prevention and relief are not limited to a single budget item. They argued that if the government is genuinely concerned about disaster relief, it should clarify how existing resources are being managed rather than creating public anxiety by claiming a lack of funds. The KMT also stated that while some infrastructure budgets are for long-term projects, they cannot be used as a substitute for emergency disaster relief funds.

If the Lai government truly cares about disaster relief, it should explain to the people how the central government's existing disaster relief resources are being deployed, instead of constantly saying 'no money for disaster relief' and creating social panic.

— KuomintangThe Kuomintang accused the government of creating fear by claiming a lack of funds.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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