The 10th degree of "no countersigning"? Blue and White push for a NT$15,000 subsidy for veteran farmers, and the Executive Yuan responds with another "legal and constitutional" response

The Legislative Yuan passed the opposition party's version of the "Interim Ordinance on Welfare Subsidy for Elderly Farmers" in its third reading today (6th), raising the monthly subsidy to NT$15,000. The Executive Yuan stated that it will take appropriate response measures within the scope of its legal and constitutional authority.

Before the nine-in-one general election, Blue and White issued many election checks. The Executive Yuan today announced that it will "not countersign" the amendment to the "Elderly Welfare Act" that exempts elderly people over 65 years old from health insurance premiums. This is also the ninth time that Executive President Zhuo Yongtai has "not countersigned". However, today (6th), the Legislative Yuan, with the advantage of blue and white, revised the "Interim Regulations on Subsidy for Old Farmers" for the third time, raising the subsidy for old farmers to 15,000 yuan per month. In this regard, Executive Yuan spokesperson Li Huizhi said that the Legislative Yuan's third reading version will increase expenditures by approximately 32 billion yuan each year compared with the Executive Yuan version, and the Executive Yuan will take appropriate response measures within the scope of its legal and constitutional authority.

Li Huizhi pointed out that Taiwan was founded on agriculture in the past. It is because of the hard work and dedication of farmers that Taiwan's agriculture can develop sustainably. The government has also been actively improving farmers' welfare and continues to strengthen farmers' protection during their farming years through farmers' health insurance, farmers' occupational disaster insurance, agricultural insurance and farmers' retirement savings. In addition, based on the existing old-age allowance, the Executive Yuan conducted an overall assessment of the payment quota, wealth exclusion standards, and price adjustment mechanisms. Taking into account the living security of elderly farmers and the sustainability of government finances, the Executive Yuan has proposed a complete plan to increase the monthly allowance for elderly farmers to 10,000 yuan.

Lee Huizhi reiterated that the formulation of welfare policies should comply with the three principles of not increasing real debt, not crowding out other governance, and being legal and constitutional. The Executive Yuan also followed the above principles and proposed a policy plan to increase the allowance for elderly farmers to NT$10,000. However, the opposition party's version passed on the third reading by the Legislative Yuan raised the veteran farmer's allowance to NT$15,000 without communicating with the Executive Yuan. This would increase expenditures by about NT$32 billion per year compared with the Executive Yuan's version. This not only exceeds the current budget's support capacity, but may also increase the government's long-term financial burden and crowd out other agricultural governance resources. It also violates the Executive Yuan's authority to formulate policy plans and propose budgets in accordance with the Constitution, and violates the constitutional principle of separation of powers.

Li Huizhi emphasized that the Executive Yuan has always actively taken care of farmers, and at the same time, it also needs to take into account agricultural infrastructure construction, industrial transformation and upgrading, and support for young people to engage in agriculture. After receiving the bill, the Political Yuan will take appropriate response measures within the scope of its legal and constitutional authority to continue and improve the care of elderly farmers.