Five ruling Democratic Progressive Party mayors and magistrates are expressing disdain over a recent amendment to Taiwan's fiscal laws by the opposition Kuomintang that will see more money in the hands of local governments.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Taking a stand for what they believe is right. These five mayors and magistrates from across
00:06Taiwan are at the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's headquarters in Taipei to denounce
00:12what they say are the opposition's evil amendments to the country's fund distribution laws, reallocating
00:19a sizable chunk of money from the central government to local units. It's a change they
00:24say will force them to make deep cuts to health, energy, welfare and defence spending, and
00:30will disproportionately affect DPP-administered areas in Taiwan's south.
00:54But the opposition Kuomintang, who, with support from Taiwan's third party, the Taiwan
01:06People's Party, hold a majority in the legislature, say the reallocation of funds is important
01:12to reward fiscally responsible local government units and support neglected rural communities
01:19around the country. Currently, Taiwan's central government is allocated 75% of government
01:35funds and revenue, with the remaining 25% going to the local administrations. The KMT's
01:43sizable shift in that ratio, to roughly 65-35, representing an additional $11.5 billion in
01:52annual funds for local governments, on top of the $14.3 billion they already get. With
01:58the KMT and TPP in combined control of 16 of Taiwan's 22 local governments, there are
02:05concerns the increase in funds could be used for political gain. This means that the politicians
02:12in the local governments now are going to have significantly more resources and significantly
02:18more leeway to use that to cement their own influence. There are also going to be concerns
02:26about in certain areas of the country that corruption may be an issue. With Taiwan's
02:31constitutional court currently paralysed after the opposition rejected President
02:36Lai Ching-de's nominations, judges won't be able to step in to solve any disputes either way,
02:41even if the president refuses to sign the amendments. But if the bill does get presidential
02:47approval, it could mean a total reshuffle of the general budget, an already contentious
02:53partisan issue that could see Taiwan's political stalemate roll deep into the new year.
02:58Leon Lien and Rhys Ayres for Taiwan Plus.