Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-08-31

The Special Budget Stature for the government’s forward-looking infrastructure plan

cleared the Legislature on Thursday after a voting marathon.

The plan is the Tsai administration’s premier stimulus package for the national economy. It consists of a range of projects relating to rail transport, water management, green energy, digital development, food safety, and rural and urban development.

The first stage of the plan will run from September 2017 to the end of 2018. It initially called for a budget of NT$108.9 billion (US$3.6 billion). The total spending of the budget is projected at around four times as much. A large segment of the public and lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) have claimed the spending is excessive.

On Wednesday, KMT lawmakers continued their boycott of the plan. Lawmakers from the majority Democratic Progressive Party put the bill to marathon vote, which concluded at 1 am, Thursday morning.    [FULL  STORY]