Weng Hsiao-ling Proposes Full Cuts to Ministry of Culture's NT$47.38 Million Media Promotion Budget

By Central News Agency reporter Liu Kuan-ting, Taipei, June 14

Media reports indicate that Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Weng Hsiao-ling has proposed eliminating the Ministry of Culture's NT$47.38 million media promotion budget in full, as well as cutting 60% of the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development's promotional budget—amounting to NT$3.678 million. Weng stated today that budgets involving inflated or arbitrary allocations, inefficiency, or non-essential expenditures should be deleted.

Today's media reports reveal that during the Legislative Yuan's review of the 2026 central government budget, Weng—after previously cutting over NT$100 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' media and policy promotion budget—has now targeted the Ministry of Culture, proposing to eliminate its entire NT$47.38 million media promotion budget. She also proposed a 60% reduction for the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development.

Weng responded via Facebook, stating that legislators have a duty to scrutinize budgets. She emphasized that administrative agencies' inflated, inefficient, or unnecessary budget allocations should be removed. Her criteria for cutting media promotion budgets are: if a ministry's budget has significantly increased from the previous year without justifiable reasons, the excess should be cut; if past spending was unreasonable or inefficient, reductions are warranted.

Weng believes government agencies do not need to spend heavily on publicity. "The key is to perform well in their core duties," she said. If a ministry achieved results with a smaller promotional budget last year, it should not spend more this year unless there is a valid reason. Using the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an example, she questioned: "If NT$30 million was sufficient last year, why spend an additional NT$100 million this year?"

Weng criticized DPP legislators like Lin Chu-ying and Wu Szu-yao for shielding the DPP government and refusing to cut budgets. "People are watching, and so is heaven," she said. "Over the past 10 years of DPP rule, government spending has increased by NT$1 trillion—has Taiwan truly improved in every aspect? Throwing money doesn't lead to better or more efficient governance. Ruling requires wisdom. Even with massive spending, incompetent leadership renders it futile."

Regarding media reports describing her actions as "heavy-handed," Weng responded frankly: "Cutting this amount isn't heavy-handed at all—it's actually too lenient. If my office researchers hadn't stopped me out of concern for attacks from the Green Camp, I would have cut even more."

(Edited by Su Chih-tsung, Su Lung-chi) 1150614

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