Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/16
By: Ku Chuan and Flor Wang

Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) approved Thursday the

Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德, left)/CNA file photo

central government budget plan for 2019, which shows expenditure of NT$2.022 trillion (US$65.65 billion), the first time it has topped the level of NT$2 trillion.

According to Lai, the projected expenditure next year is up 2.8 percent, or NT$55.1 billion, over the 2018 level. Of the total, NT$492.2 billion will be earmarked for spending on social welfare programs, followed by NT$422.8 billion for education, science and culture, NT$329.5 billion for national defense and NT$248.2 billion for economic development.    [FULL  STORY]