The new session of the Legislative Yuan begins today. Executive President Zhuo Rongtai and heads of ministries and commissions attended to deliver the policy address. Zhuo Rongtai not only explained the six major policy directions, but also pointed out that the central government's general budget for 2016 takes into account the national finance, does not require additional borrowing, and does not exclude the established policy principles. Next year, everyone will receive a cash payment of 10,000 yuan. This is after careful evaluation, and the national finance is sufficient to bear it.
Faced with the situation between the government and the opposition during the new session, Zhuo Rongtai said that the Executive Yuan will abide by the spirit of the Constitution, abide by its duties, and administer in accordance with the law. It also hopes that the Legislative Yuan will fulfill its constitutional responsibilities, adhere to the boundaries of constitutional government, and "review and approve the budget in accordance with the law and review the budget in accordance with the deadline." The government and the opposition will work together to return the constitutional order to normalcy.
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Zhuo Kui further took stock and concluded that the top policy direction of the Executive Yuan in the future will be "leading technology and smart development." The central government's general budget science and technology development plan for next year will allocate 229.2 billion yuan, an increase of 12.7% from this year, to comprehensively promote the development of the AI industry. Through the "Top Ten New AI Constructions", the government will evolve from hardware manufacturing to software design and universal application. High-speed silicon photonics laboratories have been gradually completed, and the National Intelligent Robot Research Center has been established in Sharon, Tainan, to promote sovereign AI demonstrations in the fields of education, medical care, finance, and justice; while promoting 13 key strategic industries such as unmanned vehicles, critical minerals, biotech medical care, and the Asian Asset Management Center.
The second major direction is "transformation, upgrading, and sustainable growth." In response to the revision of the regulations on the transformation, upgrading and development of small, medium and micro enterprises, the government expects to invest an additional 100 billion yuan in eight years to implement the goal of supporting all industries. In terms of agriculture, 7.4 billion yuan will be invested to promote the second phase of the cold chain logistics plan, and connect the Zhuangdong Line and the North Main Line to achieve two-way dispatch of Yunjianan water sources. In terms of energy power supply, four gas-fired units will be added this year, and the dismantling of two old coal-fired units at the Taichung Power Plant is expected to start early in October this year, continuing to move towards the 2050 net-zero emission and green energy mid- to long-term layout.
The third is "fair distribution and shared by all." Zhuo Rongtai said that in order to allow all the people to share the dividends of AI, Zhuo Rongtai announced that the central government's general budget for 2016 will take into account the national finances, without the need for additional borrowing and without excluding established governance principles. After careful evaluation and the national finances are sufficient to bear it, next year everyone will receive a cash payment of 10,000 yuan. The Wage Review Committee and both sides of labor and management have recommended that the minimum wage be raised to 39,000 yuan a month and 205 yuan an hour next year, and the Executive Yuan will quickly approve it. Next year, a budget will be prepared to allocate 130 billion yuan to the labor insurance fund and 60 billion yuan to the health insurance fund. From July 1 this year, professional bonuses and supervisory bonuses will be increased by 2,000 yuan each, and a 4% increase in benefits will be passed next year.
Zhuo Kui continued that the fourth is "expanding social welfare and balancing regional development." In order to create a balanced industrial life circle in Taiwan's six major regions, 227.1 billion yuan will be earmarked next year to promote the opening of the Taoyuan Pingzhen temporary station in October this year, the opening of the first phase of Tainan Railway underground in late October, the completion of the third terminal of Taoyuan Airport next year, and the completion of the environmental impact assessment of the high-speed rail extension in Pingtung by the end of next year. In terms of family and health support, Taiwan's new population strategy family support section allocates 373 billion yuan to promote five major aspects; the six major social welfare subsidies, old farmers' allowances and national pensions will be increased back to July this year, and will be included in this year's supplementary budget and submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review; long-term care 3.0 allocates 115.3 billion yuan, and subsidies for residential services and institutions for people with disabilities will each increase by 5,000 yuan. The Ministry of Health and Welfare also plans to promote "health coins" in October.
The fifth major direction is "enhancing education, culture and tourism". The Executive Yuan has proposed the "Draft Amendment to the National Movement Law" and promoted sports coins; in terms of culture, cultural coins have been distributed to young people aged 13 to 22 in an all-round way. Hakka currency 2.0 was also launched this year. After the Pingpu Aboriginal Ethnic Identity Law was promulgated and implemented, the ethnic approval of the Siraya ethnic group was officially completed in July ; Youth development promotes the Ten Billion Youth Overseas Dream Fund and the AI Talent Ark Project; in terms of tourism, with the goal of moving towards a trillion-dollar tourism industry in 2030, a tourism research and training institute was established in July this year to connect tourist attraction corridors and launch weekday international travel discounts and strengthen international tourism trends.
The last item is "resilient security and combating lawlessness." Zhuo Rongtai said that in terms of water resources and water control projects, 11 of the 16 main trunk pipes of the String of Pearls Project have been completed, and 100 billion yuan has been invested in the overall improvement plan of county and city river management and drainage in four years. In terms of public security, an anti-criminal and anti-drug command center has been established. Since the launch of the 165 anti-fraud dashboard, the average daily number of telecom network fraud cases nationwide has decreased by approximately 44%, and the average daily financial losses have decreased by approximately 67%. In the national security and defense department, in response to China's proposed "National Unity and Progress Promotion Act" and new regulations on entry-exit management and other transnational repressive measures, the Executive Yuan has implemented 17 national security strategies and has sent the draft amendments to the "National Security Law" and "Cross-Strait Regulations" to the Legislative Yuan for review. The overall national defense budget for next year is 1.1225 billion yuan, accounting for more than 3% of GDP. The Ministry of National Defense has also prepared 55.9 billion yuan for unmanned vehicles and included it in this year's supplementary budget.
