TAIPEI — Taiwan’s opposition-led legislature on Tuesday passed a government budget after axing or freezing significant portions of the cabinet’s proposal, raising questions about the direction of politics and defense reforms amid a growing sense of urgency.
President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration had proposed a budget for this year worth NT$3.1325 trillion ($95.6 billion). The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and its smaller partner the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which combine for a narrow legislative majority, slashed the package to NT$2.9248 trillion, or by around 6.6% — a reduction that local media said was the biggest ever.
