Hualien County Government Requests Ministry of the Interior Approval as Assembly Fails to Review General Budget
The Hualien County Government has formally requested the Ministry of the Interior to approve its FY2026 general budget, citing the County Assembly's failure to review it by the legal deadline. The government asserts that the assembly's demand for budget revision is unlawful. The prolonged delay risks public safety and citizen welfare by preventing the allocation of funds for essential services and disaster preparedness.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 21:29
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 22:01 (32 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 22:36 (34 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA reporter Li Xian-feng, Hualien, April 16th) - The controversy over Hualien County's FY2026 general budget not being reviewed by the assembly has escalated. The Hualien County Government stated that the general budget was submitted for review according to regulations on October 14th last year, but the assembly has not yet reviewed it, exceeding the legal deadline. To ensure the rights and interests of county residents, the government has formally requested the Ministry of the Interior to approve it.
Hualien County Assembly Speaker Chang Chun told CNA today that he will await notification from the Ministry of the Interior, after which he will convene a coordination meeting between the government and the assembly, hoping for a satisfactory outcome.
Local Autonomy Law stipulates that county and city general budgets must be submitted to the county and city assemblies two months before the start of the fiscal year. The assemblies must complete their review one month before the fiscal year begins. If the general budget is not completed within three months after the start of the fiscal year, the county or city government may report to the Ministry of the Interior to convene relevant agencies for consultation, which shall decide within one month. If no decision is made within the time limit, the convened agencies shall make the decision themselves.
According to the Hualien County Government's explanation, the assembly's procedure committee requested "review and revision of the budget, and re-budgeting of funds," which violates the Local Autonomy Law's provision that assemblies "shall not make proposals for increased expenditures." Furthermore, the county government has repeatedly explained that under the current legal system and related official interpretations, there is no statutory procedure for "the assembly to request administrative agencies to re-budget funds after the budget has been submitted."
The Hualien County Government stated that the delay in passing the general budget has wide-ranging impacts, affecting various groups from women, children, and youth to the elderly and disabled, and from livelihood to industrial policies. It also prevents the allocation of relevant disaster preparedness funds and second reserve funds, which will directly affect disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities, posing significant risks to public safety. The welfare of the people should not become a tool for political infighting.
The Hualien County Government said that the review of the general budget should not be delayed. Only by ensuring timely resource allocation can all policies be smoothly implemented and the safety of the people be protected at critical moments.
The assembly requested the county government to comply with the resolution of the Procedure Committee on October 27th last year, asking the county government to supplement and revise the general budget, and within the existing budget amount and framework, revise or supplement the content related to the post-disaster recovery and reconstruction of Guangfu Township. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150416
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(CNA reporter Li Xian-feng, Hualien, April 16th) - The controversy over Hualien County's FY2026 general budget not being reviewed by the assembly has escalated. The Hualien County Government stated that the general budget was submitted for review according to regulations on October 14th last year, but the assembly has not yet reviewed it, exceeding the legal deadline. To ensure the rights and interests of county residents, the government has formally requested the Ministry of the Interior to approve it.
Hualien County Assembly Speaker Chang Chun told CNA today that he will await notification from the Ministry of the Interior, after which he will convene a coordination meeting between the government and the assembly, hoping for a satisfactory outcome.
Local Autonomy Law stipulates that county and city general budgets must be submitted to the county and city assemblies two months before the start of the fiscal year. The assemblies must complete their review one month before the fiscal year begins. If the general budget is not completed within three months after the start of the fiscal year, the county or city government may report to the Ministry of the Interior to convene relevant agencies for consultation, which shall decide within one month. If no decision is made within the time limit, the convened agencies shall make the decision themselves.
According to the Hualien County Government's explanation, the assembly's procedure committee requested "review and revision of the budget, and re-budgeting of funds," which violates the Local Autonomy Law's provision that assemblies "shall not make proposals for increased expenditures." Furthermore, the county government has repeatedly explained that under the current legal system and related official interpretations, there is no statutory procedure for "the assembly to request administrative agencies to re-budget funds after the budget has been submitted."
The Hualien County Government stated that the delay in passing the general budget has wide-ranging impacts, affecting various groups from women, children, and youth to the elderly and disabled, and from livelihood to industrial policies. It also prevents the allocation of relevant disaster preparedness funds and second reserve funds, which will directly affect disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities, posing significant risks to public safety. The welfare of the people should not become a tool for political infighting.
The Hualien County Government said that the review of the general budget should not be delayed. Only by ensuring timely resource allocation can all policies be smoothly implemented and the safety of the people be protected at critical moments.
The assembly requested the county government to comply with the resolution of the Procedure Committee on October 27th last year, asking the county government to supplement and revise the general budget, and within the existing budget amount and framework, revise or supplement the content related to the post-disaster recovery and reconstruction of Guangfu Township. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150416
Stand with the truth, and every sponsorship from you is a force to protect press freedom.
Download CNA's "First News" APP to get the latest information in real time.
Text, images, and audio on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.