Taiwan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Proposes Largest Confidential Budget in Six Years
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed a confidential budget of TWD 1,821,387,000 (USD 56.71 million) for the upcoming year. This represents a significant increase of 53.48% from the current year’s budget. The proposed budget is the largest in six years and accounts for 6.01% of the Ministry’s total annual budget.
The Budget Centre has raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the Ministry’s confidential budget. They emphasize the need for the Ministry to list its expenditures to allow public scrutiny, ensuring that taxpayer money is spent responsibly.
Despite amendments to the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, which prohibit indefinite classification of information, many documents remain undisclosed. Of the 47,978 classified books held by the Ministry, only 2,663 have been reassigned, leaving the majority undisclosed for over 17 years.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan -: Taiwan is an island located in East Asia, near China. It has its own government and operates like a separate country, although China claims it as part of its territory.
Foreign Affairs Ministry -: The Foreign Affairs Ministry is a part of the government that deals with relationships and interactions with other countries. They handle things like trade agreements, international cooperation, and diplomatic relations.
Confidential Budget -: A confidential budget is a plan for how money will be spent, but the details are kept secret. This is often done for security reasons, but it can also lead to concerns about how the money is being used.
TWD -: TWD stands for New Taiwan Dollar, which is the currency used in Taiwan. It’s like how we use Indian Rupees (INR) in India.
Transparency -: Transparency means being open and clear about what is happening. In this context, it means the government should show how they are spending money so people can see and understand it.
Budget Centre -: The Budget Centre is likely a government or independent body that reviews and analyzes government budgets to ensure they are used properly and efficiently.
Classified National Security Information Protection Act -: This is a law that protects certain information related to national security, keeping it secret to protect the country. However, it can also mean that some important information is not shared with the public.
