Rewrite the 2010 Budget!

Rewrite the 2010 Budget!
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 21, 2009

In response to the 8/8 Flood, the Executive Yuan has authorized a multi-billion-dollar special budget for disaster relief and reconstruction. But this is far from adequate. The government must devote itself entirely to disaster relief and reconstruction, At the same time it must avoid wasting resources and funds. The government should rewrite the entire 2010 Budget. Only then can it focus on post-disaster reconstruction and avoid waste.
On July 30 the Executive Yuan held a "2010 Audit Plan and Budget Meeting." It confirmed the numbers for the 2010 central government budget. Net revenues will be 1.5513 trillion NT. Net expenditures will be 1.7404 trillion NT. Once the budget was passed by the Executive Yuan Council in late August, it was to be sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation. But the 8/8 Flood struck. The Executive Yuan set the special budget for the 8/8 Flood at 1.1 trillion NT. But in the face of rising damage estimates and human casualty numbers, the Executive Yuan admitted that the budget is "likely to grow." As a result, borrowing next year is expected to reach 460 billion NT. Add to this the multi-billion dollar special budget for the 8/8 Flood, and the debt may exceed 500 billion NT, establishing a record high for borrowing in a single year.

In response to the needs of the state and society, the government must borrow money. We understand the need for a budget deficit. For example, many people are arguing over the government's budget for the coming year. They are asking whether the budget shouldn't be balanced, and whether the government shouldn't reduce its economic supports and injections of capital. We believe that the economic recovery is still in its early stages, and for the government to withdraw its financial support would be premature. Otherwise the economy could flame-out again, negatively affecting government revenues. Therefore, at this stage, a budget deficit is acceptable.

But following the 8/8 Flood, we feel the entire budget should be reviewed and rewritten. We must not focus entirely on the problem of higher deficits. We must focus on the policies the government is promoting. Next year the government must promote post-disaster reconstruction. Should that be considered the focus of government policy? Global climate anomalies may make seasonal rains more frequent, even "normal." Should the government's disaster prevention and disaster relief system undergo a comprehensive update and strengthening? The answer is clearly yes. If so, which departments have responsibilites relating to 8/8 Flood reconstruction? The answer is, almost every department.

The Fire Services Department under the Ministry of the Interior and the Construction and Planning Administration have responsibilities directly related to disaster prevention and reconstruction. The Ministry of the Interior bears the greatest responsibility for post-disaster reconstruction. The Ministry of Communications is responsible for restoring breakdowns in the transportation system. The Ministry of Economic Affairs Water Resources Agency is the main entity responsible for water resources. It should also shoulder responsibility for the reconstruction of industries within the disaster areas. The Council of Labor Affairs should lend a helping hand to disaster victims who have lost their jobs and their source of livelihood. Others, such as the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education must assume responsibility for damage suffered by farmers and children unable to attend school. The Financial Supervisory Commission and the Central Bank may appear to have little to do with the disaster. But disaster victims' homes have been destroyed. What will they do? To allow disaster victims to recover, they must be given financial assistance. How will all this be planned? These are responsibilities that must be assumed by finance related entities.

The disaster areas require huge sums for reconstruction. Disaster victims require government and social assistance to return to normal life. Many relatively unimportant items included in the budget before the flood occurred can be eliminated. These include improvements to sidewalks, parks, and decorative walls. Many activities may be inspections and conferences in name, but junkets in fact. Many celebrations, floral expenses, and self-promotion campaigns can be reduced or eliminated altogether.

While fulfilling their duties, various departments exert different amounts of energy. Budget allocations should reflect these differentials. Otherwise, scattering one's energies will make them difficult to focus. The transportation system suffered the most serious damage. The focus of the original budget may have been on new transportation projects. But following the 8/8 Floods, the number of reconstruction projects must be increased. If they are all lumped together, in total disregard of which as higher priority, none of them will be executed properly. The energy the bureaucracy has is limited. The energy domestic forces of production have is also limited. Therefore authorities should assess their own capacity to administer programs, and the capacity of the domestic productive sector. They must make substantial changes to their original plans for next year. Reconstruction of the disaster areas must be the first priority. Can the budget really not be rewritten?

The Executive Yuan has yet to make changes in the 2010 Budget. Resorting to a special budget to meet the needs of the 8/8 Flood is understandable. It is the most expedient way. But it is unacceptable. It is the lazy man's way. It will lead to confusion about what most needs to be done. It will make it difficult to focus on post-disaster reconstruction. It will lead to greater waste and increase the budget deficit unnecessarily. It is now August. The budget has yet to be sent to the Legislative Yuan. If the government is sincere, it still has time to make massive changes to its budget.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2009.08.21
社論－重編99年度總預算吧！
本報訊

為了因應八八水災的救災與復建需要，行政院決定編列千億元的特別預算。不過，我們認為，這樣還遠遠不夠，在考慮到政府應全力投入救災復建，同時避免資源與預算的浪費，我們認為政府應全面重編九九年度的總預算，才能聚焦災後重建與避免浪費。

行政院在七月卅日召開「九九年度計畫及預算審核會議」，會中確定九九年度的中央政府總預算額度，其中歲入為新台幣一兆五五一三億元，歲出一兆七四○四億元，預計在八月下旬提報行政院院會通過後，送立法院審議。但，接著發生八八水災，行政院初估八八水災特別預算規模將達一一○○億元，不過，在災害損失、人員傷亡不斷攀升下，行政院也承認「預算可能再增加」。由於明年預計舉債四六○○億，如再加上破千億元的八八水災特別預算，舉債金額可能突破五千億元，創下單一年度舉債新高。

對於因應國家與社會需要，政府不得不舉債、編列赤字預算，我們並非不能認同。例如，在各界爭論政府明年度預算，是否應以預算平衡為要務，減少對經濟的支撐與挹注，我們就認為在經濟復甦幼苗微露之際，政府不宜過早撤回對支撐經濟的財政支出，否則不但可能讓經濟再熄火，更將再次打擊政府稅收，因此，現階段赤字預算可以接受。

但，在八八水災後，我們認為總預算應全面檢討與重編，著眼點不僅在政府赤字飆高的問題，更在政府政事的推動重點上。試問：明年政府政務推動，八八水災的後續復建事宜，是不是該列為施政重點？如果，全球氣候異常導致的季節性暴雨將會頻繁出現、甚至成為「常態」，政府的防災、救災思維與體系，是否應全面更新與加強？答案顯然是肯定的。那麼，有那些部會與八八水災復建事宜有關聯呢？幾乎是每個部會都有關係。

內政部下有消防署、營建署，與防災、復建直接相關，更不用提內政部是首席部會，要對災後復建負最大責任；交通部要負責崩壞斷裂的交通體系的復原；經濟部除了水利署是水利主管機關外，也該扛起重建災區產業的責任；勞委會呢？那些失去工作、頓失生活依靠的災民，勞委會是否該伸出援手呢？其它如農委會、教育部，對受損農民、失學孩子，都必須負起救助的責任；甚至，即使看似與災難毫不搭軋的金管會、央行，災民背負房貸，但房屋全毀了，怎麼辦？未來要讓災民重新站起來，需要的資金援助，要如何規畫？這些，都是財金單位該擘畫的事。

在災區需要大筆經費復建，在災民需要政府與社會援助以重新回歸正常生活的時候，那些在水災發生前編列的許多相對不重要的預算─那種敲掉可正常使用的人行道、公園、圍牆重建的工程；那種名為考察、開會，實為遊樂犒賞的活動；那些錦上添花的慶典、儀式性花費、甚至用來為自己抹脂擦粉的預算，是否都該知所節縮，甚至完全取消？

再以每個部會執行業務的「能量」看，預算也該大幅調整，否則，力量分散，難以聚焦。以這次受損最嚴重的交通體系為例，原預算內容重點可能在許多新建交通工程上，八八水災後，則增加了許多復建工程。如果不分優先次序全部一起推，結果是：全部做不好。不僅官僚機構的能量有限，國內營造能量亦有一定限度，因此主管單位就應衡量本身執行能力與國內營造能量，對明年必須推動的計畫做大幅調整，且以災區復建為第一優先考量。此時，預算不重編，可以嗎？

行政院不對已編列的九九年度預算做更動，而以特別預算方式把八八水災的預算需求加入，可以理解，因為這是最快速的方式；但，不能接受，因為這也是最懶惰的方式。這也造成施政重點不明，難以聚焦災後重建事宜，更造成預算的浪費與赤字無謂的飆升。現在是八月中，總預算亦尚未送進立法院，如政府有誠意，仍有時間與空間對總預算做大幅調整。