President Lai announces fiscal year budget and defends personnel spending

President Lai Ching-te has announced the central government budget for the 115 fiscal year. In his official remarks, the President stated that personnel expenses are statutory expenditures and should not be subject to cuts or freezes by the Legislative Yuan, noting that the right to hold public office is constitutionally protected.

Regarding the budget, President Lai expressed shock at the Legislative Yuan's decision to significantly reduce or freeze the Ministry of Culture's budget for the second consecutive year. Despite these cuts, he pledged that the government will increase efforts to promote cultural development through four key areas: rooting culture in local communities, fostering local identity, integrating technology and innovation, and enhancing international cultural connections.

For the 2027 fiscal year, the budget for the Ministry of Culture's management portion is set at NT$28.8 billion, with total subsidies reaching NT$32 billion, representing a 7.9% increase from the previous year. When including special funds and related departmental expenditures, the total cultural budget scale reaches NT$65.9 billion.