"Taipei Times"
Lai Ching-te: Negotiations between the government and the opposition on the drone bill may be unconstitutional and disrupt financial planning
President Lai Ching-te delivered a speech at a DPP event yesterday. Photo: CNA
Race against time: Taiwan must be able to invest effectively as drone technology and the geopolitical landscape evolve rapidly, the president said.
Reporters Chen Chengyu, Jonathan. Qin/Compiled
President Lai Ching-te said yesterday that the opposition party in the Legislative Yuan planned to fund the development of defense drones through the annual budget, which would violate the separation of powers stipulated in the constitution and disrupt fiscal planning.
The Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) proposed their respective drone procurement bills on Monday.
Unlike the special budget proposed by the Executive Yuan, which would provide NT$210 billion (approximately US$6.6 billion) for the drone program, the opposition party's draft seeks to fund drones through the annual budget process.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, Lai Qingde, who is also the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, told the Central Standing Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party that the proposals of the Kuomintang and the Popular Party would infringe on the budget responsibilities of the Executive Yuan.
Sources quoted Lai as saying that including drone development funds in the annual budget would make it subject to the national debt ceiling, and this restriction does not apply to the special budget for drones.
Lai said this would deprive the Executive Yuan of the flexibility it needs to invest effectively in a rapidly changing area that is critical to national defense.
He also said that including drone industry subsidies and defense project funding into the annual budget would also weaken the government's ability to allocate funds for education, welfare and other basic services.
Sources quoted Lai Ching-te as saying that the special budget for drones proposed by the Executive Yuan, which includes expected expenditures and project schedules, is the country’s best hope for establishing a sustainable drone industry.
He said the special budget is crucial to reducing uncertainty in the drone industry and giving Taiwan's armed forces the combat capabilities they desperately need.
He pointed out that in the context of tremendous changes in military technology and the geopolitical landscape, establishing asymmetric combat capabilities is a race against time.
He said the government is working to help Taiwan's drone industry seize opportunities created by domestic and foreign demand for military unmanned vehicles as the industry focuses on developing non-Chinese supply chains and dual-use platforms.
Sources quoted Lai as saying that the opposition parties should support the special budget that is crucial to strengthening Taiwan's resilience, demonstrate the country's determination to defend itself, and integrate the country into supply chains that friends consider trustworthy.
Lin Peixiang, director-general of the Kuomintang caucus, said he could not see why supporting the growth of local defense industries and capabilities would be unconstitutional.
Defense Minister Gu Lixiong delivered a speech on budget issues at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee yesterday.
Gu Lixiong questioned that if the Ministry of National Defense allocates NT$40 billion, "Will the Kuomintang firmly promise not to cut it? Or will it instead significantly reduce the drone budget of relevant agencies?"
KMT legislator Chen Yongkang said his party would likely support the appropriation and would not approve a budget and then intentionally cut it, adding that the KMT's draft was not designed to "take hostages."
Jiang Qichen, vice-president of the Legislative Yuan, said all proposed versions are expected to be discussed at a plenary session of the Legislative Yuan tomorrow.
Additional reporting by Luo Guojia, Liu Wanlin and Cai Shuyuan
News source: Taipei Times
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