Taiwan's Executive Yuan: Special budgets for unmanned vehicles face oversight

Taiwan's Executive Yuan has addressed recent proposals from the "blue-white" coalition parties to incorporate the procurement of unmanned vehicles into the regular annual budget. The Yuan reiterated its stance that special budgets are not exempt from oversight.

Executive Yuan spokesperson Li Hui-chih stated that any special budget or legislation, once submitted to the Legislative Yuan, undergoes public and legislative review. She pointed to the recent "National Defense Special Act," where provisions for commercial and commissioned procurement of drones were removed during review, as evidence that special budgets are indeed supervised. Li emphasized that national defense requires continuous funding and resources, particularly for asymmetric warfare capabilities and indigenous development.

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Special budgets are not unsupervised.

Li also highlighted the urgency of passing the general budget, noting it has been under review for 301 days. She stressed the immediate need for disaster prevention and relief funds, urging lawmakers to prioritize the general budget for the safety and well-being of the people. The Executive Yuan believes that accelerating the development of unmanned vehicle capabilities through a special budget is crucial for national defense and supports the domestic industry's research and production.

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National defense has no vacuum period.