TRAIN STRAIN?Local governments might face financial strain as they would have to pay NT$390.9 billion for the infrastructure program’s rail projects, a lawmaker said
Taipei Times
Date: Jul 21, 2017
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday reported Premier Lin Chuan (林
全) to the Control Yuan over alleged dereliction of duty for allowing the Executive Yuan to “illegally” budget the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program.
Lin breached Article 83 of the Budget Act (預算法) by allowing the construction of parking lots, recreational facilities and the Hakka Romantic Avenue — a proposed road connecting New Taipei City and Taichung to promote Hakka attractions — to be listed under the program, the complaint says.
A special budget should only be planned to cover urgent expenses pertaining to national security, disaster relief, economic crises or major national policies, it said.
In the last case, a special budget may be planned several years after the previous one.
The Executive Yuan’s listing of parking lot construction and computer upgrades for agencies contravenes Article 23 of the act, as those items should be paid for with running expenses rather than a special budget, the KMT said. [FULL STORY]