Taiwanese legislator respects proposal to cut culture ministry's media promotion funds

A legislator in Taiwan has proposed eliminating the Ministry of Culture's media promotion budget and significantly cutting similar funds for the film and music industries. Tsai Chi-chung, a member of the Education and Culture Committee and a legislator from the Taiwan People's Party, stated her respect for the proposal, emphasizing that public funds must not be used to benefit politically aligned groups or "sidekicks."

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Public funds should never be a tool for the transfer of specific benefits, nor should media promotion projects be outsourced to specific entities, specific media, or sidekicks close in political color.

Tsai stressed that budget review is a legislative duty aimed at safeguarding public money and promoting fiscal discipline. She believes that the proposal to cut these funds highlights the need for the Ministry of Culture to use public money effectively, ensuring actual promotional impact rather than mere formality or self-promotion. The goal is to genuinely support government policies and encourage public participation in cultural activities.

To ensure fairness and transparency, Tsai called for the Ministry of Culture to fully disclose the recipients of media promotion funds, the platforms used for dissemination, and specific performance indicators. She argued that public funds should not serve as a tool for transferring specific benefits or be awarded to politically connected entities. Establishing a robust mechanism to prevent redundant allocations and publicly sharing past execution results and future targets are crucial to dispelling public doubts about government "internet armies" or bid-rigging.

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The budget review is a duty endowed by the constitution to legislators. Based on their professionalism and observation of governance, each legislator will naturally have different focuses and oversight methods when reviewing budgets.

Tsai vowed to maintain a professional oversight stance during upcoming budget negotiations and reviews, urging the Ministry of Culture to respond positively to legislative oversight and present concrete improvement plans.

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We respect the proposal by Weng to eliminate the Ministry of Culture's media promotion funds.