Taiwan's Premier Takes Action: Budgets Set to Thaw

Cho Jung-tai Moves to Unfreeze Billions in Government Spending, Navigating Legislative Hurdles

Taipei, April 22 – Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) announced on Tuesday his intention to instruct all Cabinet ministries to swiftly address the Legislature's request regarding the unfreezing of budget allocations for 2025.

Speaking to the press before a Legislative hearing, Premier Cho expressed his hope for the Legislative Yuan to expedite the unfreezing of all budgets, enabling the Executive Yuan to resume normal operational procedures.

The legislative freezes encompass a substantial NT$138.1 billion (approximately US$4.25 billion) across 1,584 budget items, according to the Premier.

Initially, the Cabinet proposed a government spending plan of NT$3.1 trillion. However, opposition lawmakers reduced the budget request by approximately NT$207 billion and froze an additional NT$138.1 billion, pending specific actions by government agencies.

Premier Cho addressed inquiries about the delays, noting that the various ministries faced differing circumstances, including some that hadn't yet met the criteria to unfreeze their allocated funds.

The budget freezes are categorized into three main types. The largest, comprising 1,162 items totaling NT$15.4 billion, includes spending categories that can be immediately unlocked upon submission of a proposal, stated Cho.

The second category necessitates a special report, with funds released only after legislative review. This category involves 373 items, amounting to NT$36.6 billion, according to the Premier.

Lastly, the third category, totaling NT$86.1 billion across 49 items, is further subdivided, requiring diverse procedures before the funds can be unfrozen.