Chen Yixin, chairman of the Kuomintang Cultural Affairs Bureau, refutes the Executive Yuan’s water control budget statement

Chen Yixin, chairman of the Kuomintang Cultural Communication Committee. (File photo)

In response to the Executive Yuan spokesperson's claim that the flood control budget cannot be used as a source of emergency relief funds under the "Disaster Prevention and Protection Law", Chen Yixin, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Cultural Communication Committee, refuted today (27th) that the Executive Yuan's statement is a covert change of concept and is inconsistent with the express provisions of the law.

Chen Yixin pointed out that Article 57 of the "Disaster Prevention Law" clearly stipulates that if disaster prevention and relief funds are insufficient, the government should adjust the current year's revenue and expenditure and transfer emergency relief expenditures, and is not subject to the relevant restrictions of the "Budget Law". The purpose of the legislation is to allow the government to allocate existing budgets for disaster relief in accordance with the law when major disasters occur, rather than allowing the government to shift all responsibilities to the general budget.

Chen Yixin pointed out that Article 54 of the "Budget Law" also clearly stipulates that legally obligated expenditures and continuing plans can be spent in accordance with the law. The Executive Yuan still has a huge annual budget. In March this year, the Legislative Yuan also approved 14.7 billion yuan in flood control funds and 35.3 billion yuan in emergency disaster relief funds. The Executive Yuan has considerable funds at its disposal. Now they continue to claim that "the budget is blocked and disaster relief cannot be provided", which is a bad way to shirk responsibility.

Chen Yixin called on President Lai Ching-te to urge the Executive Yuan to make good preparations for flood prevention, take inventory of disaster relief resources, and honestly face budget implementation and legal regulations, instead of using natural disaster risks as a political tool to intimidate the people and force Congress to accept all orders. Disaster relief should return to administration according to law rather than political manipulation.