The Miaoli County Government has announced that it will resume paying government employees’ salaries and pensions.
The announcement comes after the central government agreed to give the county NT$800 million (US$25 million) earmarked for the second half of the year in advance. It is the first time Taiwan’s central government has ever intervened to help a county with its financial problems.
According to cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun, Miaoli County has agreed to begin implementing financial reform measures mandated by the central government on August 1. The Miaoli County Government has also imposed fiscal discipline measures on local governments under its jurisdiction as the county’s finances stabilize.