Taipei Times
Date: Oct 01, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter
Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi (洪孟啟) yesterday tendered his resignation, despite
Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi announces that he tendered his resignation at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Pan Shao-tang, Taipei Times
dismissing a report alleging the ministry offered Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers special allowances in order to have its proposed budget passed without issue.
Next Magazine yesterday reported the ministry, having part of its budget frozen last year, proposed in May to apportion NT$2.5 million (US$75,465) to each KMT lawmaker to ensure the passage of the ministry’s budget this year.
The report alleged, showing what it said to be copies of ministry documents, that top ministry officials made a resolution that lawmakers could apply for the subsidy as long as they are KMT legislators, and that KMT lawmakers sitting on the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee were to be funded first.
Hung denied the allegation, saying that, while the proposal was tabled in an internal meeting, in which only he, the chief secretary and three deputy ministers were present, it was immediately rejected based on a principle of administrative neutrality. [FULL STORY]
