Su Chiao-hui Urges Opposition to Fast-Track Taipower Budget to Freeze Electricity Rates

The Ministry of Economic Affairs' Electricity Rate Review Committee recently reached a new resolution, deciding to temporarily keep electricity rates unchanged after considering the overall domestic economic situation and the burden on the public and industries. However, the key behind this decision to postpone the rate hike lies in prioritizing the procurement of a NT$71.1 billion supplementary budget allocated by the government to subsidize the financial deficit of Taiwan Power Company (Taipower). Addressing this crucial funding, which concerns the pockets of all citizens and the sustainability of national energy, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and New Taipei City mayoral hopeful Su Chiao-hui publicly stated during a public itinerary, calling on opposition party groups in the Legislative Yuan to prioritize people's livelihoods, swiftly review the supplementary budget proposed by the Executive Yuan, and genuinely alleviate the burden on the general public and industrial sectors through government financial support.

During media interviews and public remarks, Su Chiao-hui analyzed in depth that Taiwan's current overall economic performance is growing steadily, and the national tax revenue is quite sufficient. The government has ample fiscal leeway to take care of grassroots citizens, and using these resources to reduce the pressure on people's lives and the operating costs of industries is logical and taken for granted. She further pointed out that Taipower has absorbed a massive surge in international fuel costs in the past period to comply with the government's stable-pricing policy, causing tremendous pressure on its financial structure. Today, subsidizing Taipower through the coordination of the general budget and the supplementary budget is not only to stabilize electricity prices, but also to ensure the stable operation of the national basic power grid and the continued advancement of Taiwan's economy, which must not be delayed by political gridlock.

In fact, whether electricity rates should be raised has always been a focus of high attention from the domestic political arena and all sectors of society. With ongoing international geopolitical conflicts, fossil fuel and natural gas prices have experienced drastic fluctuations over the past few years. Most neighboring countries and major global economies have already experienced several rounds of significant electricity rate hikes, triggering inflationary chain reactions. Although Taiwan cannot completely immune itself from the shock of the international energy crisis, under the policy regulation of the government and Taipower, through precise tier adjustments and treasury subsidies, the impact of electricity price fluctuations on general household consumers has been minimized as much as possible. However, long-term rate freezes and cost absorption have also caused Taipower's cumulative losses to continue to expand. How to find a fundamental fiscal solution has become a major test before the ruling and opposition parties.

Facing the Executive Yuan's supplementary budget subsidy proposal of up to NT$71.1 billion, the attitude of the Legislative Yuan is drawing close attention. Because the current ruling and opposition dynamics in the Legislative Yuan present a situation where no party holds more than half of the seats, and the pan-Blue and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) camp holds the majority in the parliament, the review and passage of any major budget proposal must go through cross-party negotiations and full discussion. Over the past period, the ruling and opposition parties have frequently fallen into high confrontation and maneuvering during the deliberation of the general budget and various major bills. This time, Su Chiao-hui specifically appealed to the opposition parties, calling on the pan-Blue and TPP camp to put the welfare of the people before party interests, stop unnecessary political consumption and boycotts, and accelerate the review process of the supplementary budget so that the funds capable of stabilizing electricity prices and easing inflationary pressures can be smoothly put in place.

From a more macro political and economic perspective, this tug-of-war surrounding electricity prices and the supplementary budget is not only a parliamentary contest within the Legislative Yuan, but also directly affects local political landscapes and voter perceptions. As a prominent mid-generation politician within the DPP and a potential candidate for New Taipei City Mayor, Su Chiao-hui has always been active in expressing her views on livelihood and economic issues. By proactively calling on the pan-Blue and TPP camp to swiftly review the budget, she on one hand demonstrates the ruling party legislator's active attitude of defending policies and empathizing with the people's hardships, and on the other hand attempts to closely link the policy dividend of the electricity rate freeze and the appeal to reduce the people's burden, striving for the recognition and support of the broad citizens of New Taipei and voters nationwide, thereby accumulating more political legitimacy and social trust for future election layouts.

Overall, although the temporary freeze on electricity rates has temporarily alleviated public anxiety over rising prices, whether the NT$71.1 billion supplementary budget can successfully clear the Legislative Yuan will be a critical turning point determining whether Taiwan's future energy policy can be sustainable and Taipower's finances can be sound. Although Taiwan's current economic performance is impressive, in the face of global economic uncertainties and the real needs of domestic livelihoods and industries, the ruling and opposition parties should put aside their prejudices and take the long-term development of the country and the welfare of all citizens as their highest guiding principle. As Su Chiao-hui stated, only by making the government's fiscal tools and the parliament's supervision and review operate smoothly can Taiwan's economic train continue to move forward on a solid foundation. This is not only a test for the ruling party, but also a profound test of the political wisdom of all legislators.

(Source: Central News Agency)