Legislature Approves US$93 Billion Budget for 2026 After Record Delay

Taiwan’s legislature has passed a US$93 billion budget for 2026 with just a third of the year left. The record delay prompted Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu to call for it not to happen again, as lawmakers prepare to review the central government's 2027 budget. The approved 2026 budget includes nearly US$2 billion drone-related funding, but also US$1.5 billion in cuts affecting special allowances for heads of government agencies, their media policy and public information funding, as well as overseas travel. TaiwanPlus and its parent company, the Public Television Service, also faced separate cuts of about US$6 million and US$700,000. Opposition lawmakers from the Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party defended the reductions, saying they eliminated unnecessary government spending. Meanwhile, the Cabinet said some of the cuts could disrupt government operations, while President Lai Ching-te criticized them as "unreasonable and regrettable." Disclaimer: This story concerns TaiwanPlus, which is a publicly funded news outlet.