Taiwan’s legislature is beginning a two-week extraordinary legislative session to scrutinize the government’s latest COVID-19 stimulus bill. The government-led motion to extend the current session passed with support from opposition parties on Monday. The legislature will now remain in session until June 18.
As Taiwan faces its worst outbreak of COVID-19, the government has drawn up spending plans designed to compensate affected businesses and stimulate the economy.
On May 31, the legislature voted to raise the cap on overall spending from NT$420 billion (US$15 billion) to double that amount: NT$840 billion (US$30 billion). Lawmakers will now examine precise spending plans for NT$260 billion ($9.4 billion) to be taken from that overall budget.
As part of the deal to extend the legislative session, Premier Su Tseng-chang will report to the legislature on Tuesday and Wednesday to outline the government’s plans. He will also report on the government’s strategy for buying COVID-19 vaccines, and plans for mass vaccination. Ministers from the statistics bureau and economics, health and labor ministries will also be present.
Most of the opposition parties have agreed to pass the third reading of the spending bill before June 18. But the largest party in opposition, the KMT, has not, leaving it uncertain whether the bill will pass into law this session.