The Legislative Yuan has passed the 2025 central government's budget with a
total cut of 207.5 billion NT, which accounts for some 6.6-percent of the
budget's expenditures.

It's the biggest reduction in the legislative history.

The budget proposal approved by the Cabinet last August set government
spending for this year at 3.13-trillion N-T with projected revenues of
3.15-trillion N-T, and today's cut means the spending will drop to 2.92
trillion.

The Legislature began reviewing the budget plan last Friday and the majority
opposition lawmakers decided to slash 94-billion N-T from it.

That's for all the government agencies, including cutting 60-percent off of
the special funds for the heads of the agencies.

The review resumed at 10 AM yesterday to look into individual budget plans
proposed by different agencies, and it lasted until 5:30 AM this morning.

Among other reductions, lawmakers froze half of the 2-billion-NT funding
proposed for 2025 to continue work on Taiwan-made submarines until Narwhal, a
prototype, passes a required sea acceptance test.

They've also cut the 100-billion government subsidy for the state-run Taiwan
Power, and froze 25-percent of Public Television Service's 2.3-billion-NT
budget.

In response, the ruling DPP has accused the opposition lawmakers of putting
national security and people's welfare in jeopardy.

(JL)