Taiwan Legislative Yuan budget cuts

The Taiwan Legislative Yuan has implemented significant budget cuts and freezes targeting the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Culture.

Regarding the Presidential Office, the Legislative Yuan reduced the 30 million TWD State Affairs Secret Fund by 10 million TWD and froze the remaining 20 million TWD. Unfreezing these funds is contingent upon the President promulgating five specific laws and submitting a report to the legislature. A Presidential Office spokesperson criticized the move, claiming it uses budget authority as a “political tool to interfere with constitutional duties.”

In the Ministry of Culture, the legislature voted to eliminate media and promotion budgets, including the removal of 47.38 million TWD in media promotion fees for the 115 fiscal year. These cuts, which follow a broader review that saw 1 billion TWD removed and 386 million TWD frozen, have drawn criticism from the cultural sector. Artist Liang Yun-fei warned that withdrawing resources for international visibility threatens the creative industry, stating that “culture will naturally die bit by bit.”