BUDGET FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN PASSED|前瞻首期特別預算1089億 政院通過

The Executive Yuan called a cabinet meeting on the morning of the 11th and passed its first budget proposal for the Forward-Looking Infrastructure Program. The budget calls for expenditures of $108.9 billion NTD between September this year and December 2018. Executive Yuan spokesperson Hsu Kuo-Yung said that Premier Lin Chuan stated during the meeting that society's support will be key to passing the special budget, and reminded all participants that this money was hard-won and every bit of the budget must be well-spent. The Executive Yuan has passed its first budget proposal for the Forward-Looking Infrastructure Program. The proposal calls for NT$108.9 billion in expenditures, with NT$35.4 billion for urban and rural development, NT$25.67 billion for aquatic environment development, NT$17 billion for railway infrastructure, NT$8.12 billion for green energy, NT$16.17 billion for digital infrastructure, NT$1.96 billion for fighting low birthrates, NT$310 million for food safety, and NT$4.2 billion for talent development. The expenditures will be for September this year to December 2018, and they are projected to add 0.1 percentage point to annual GDP growth. ==CHU TZER-MING Minister, DGBAS== For the first phase of NT$420 billion, between 2017 and August 2021, we project that real GDP growth will be increased by 0.1 percentage points every year. ==HSU KUO-YUNG Executive Yuan spokesperson== After strict and rigorous review, we have agreed on a proposal to submit to the Legislative Yuan. Of course, we welcome a strict review process from the legislators. This is the entire point of representative democracy. Through this process, we will hear the voice of the people. Hsu quoted Premier Lin Chuan as saying that every ministry should conduct rigorous benefit assessments and financial planning. As for the budget for railway infrastructure, the most controversial part of the program, the biggest share of about NT$5.5 billion will go to electrifying the South Link Line, and NT$2.14 billion will go to MRT and light rail projects in New Taipei City. However, New Taipei mayor Eric Chu still said that this program is "backward-looking" instead of forward-looking. ==ERIC CHU New Taipei City Mayor== For the New Taipei portion, this is not "forward-looking" in anyway. It is simply changing the already-approved annual budget to a special budget. This actually violates Article 83 of the Budget Act, and it is backward-looking, not forward-looking. Former National Policy Advisor Rex How and Chu Hai-yuan of the Preparatory Committee for the National Conference on Judicial Reform held a press conference demanding that the DPP caucus amend the law to include a sunset provision. ==CHU HAI-YUAN Dep. Convener, Judical Reform Committee== We ask the DPP caucus to amend the law to include a sunset provision. If you cannot even pass such a provision, and use the opposition parties as an excuse, then what kind of ruling party are you? Rex How said that everything about the program was a mistake, but that he still had hope in the government and that the Executive Yuan needs to keep in mind public opinion. Premier Lin invited several DPP legislators to the Executive Yuan to discuss the budget, hoping for a smooth review process during the second extraordinary session. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 行政院上午舉行臨時院會，通過前瞻基礎建設特別預算第1期，今年9月到明年12月，總計編列1089億元，行政院發言人徐國勇會後轉述，行政院長林全的會中裁示，表示要充分爭取社會支持，使特別預算早日通過，也提醒，國家資源得來不易，每一分錢都要用在刀口上。 首期前瞻基礎建設特別預算，上午在行政院臨時院會通過，總計編列1089億元，分別是城鄉建設354億、水環境256.7億、軌道建設170億、綠能81.2億、數位161.7億、少子化19.6億、食安3.1億，以及人才培育42億，期程為今年9月到明年12月，估計平均每年實質GDP，增加0.1個百分點。 ==行政院主計總處主計長 朱澤民== 根據第一期所謂4200億 我們如果分布在 106年到110年的8月間 我們的估計 它的實質GDP會增加 0.1個百分點 ==行政院發言人 徐國勇== 我們嚴謹嚴格的審查以後 送到立法院 我們當然也歡迎尊重 立法委員的嚴格審查 所以我想代議政治的整個意旨 應該就是在這裡 所以在這一部份 我們民眾的聲音我們都會聽到 行政院發言人徐國勇則轉述行政院長林全會中裁示，希望各部會落實效益評估及財務規劃，而其中爭議最大的軌道建設，以花東台鐵南迴電氣化占54.93億最多，新北市捷運和輕軌占21.4億，儘管如此，新北市長朱立倫仍批評，前瞻不是前瞻，是回顧。 ==新北市長 朱立倫== 我想所謂新北市的部分 不是前瞻吧 是原來已經核定的年度預算 把年度預算轉換成為特別預算 第一個它也違反 預算法83條的規定 而且它也不是前瞻 它是回顧 不滿前瞻建設的還有，前國策顧問郝明義與司改籌委會副召集人瞿海源，兩人聯手舉行「請政府謹守民主治國家的治理原則」記者會，要求民進黨團提出落日條款。 ==司改籌委會副召集人 瞿海源== 落日條款請民進黨黨團提出修法 假如落日條款 你都沒有把握可以修 說我修落日條款可能 在野黨會反對會杯葛 那你還執什麼政 郝明義則痛批前瞻一路錯到底，但對政府仍然期待，更提醒行政院要納入公民意見，而行政院長林全下午則是邀請多名綠營立委到行政院茶敘，針對前瞻預算進行說明，因為接下來，將要力拚立法院第二次臨時會的預算審查。 記者 郭采彥 吳嘉堡 張梓嘉 台北報導