By Sean Lin / Staff reporterThe Executive Yuan yesterday finalized its general budget plan for fiscal 2019, which includes a 5.6 percent increase in the military budget, with the total exceeding NT$2 trillion (US$64.84 billion) for the first time. The proposed NT$2.022 trillion budget is to be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review by the end of this month. The increased budget would drive domestic demand, which would lend support to the nation’s economic growth momentum over the short, middle and long term, he said. National defense ranked third with NT$329.5 billion earmarked, an increase of 5.6 percent, or NT$18.3 billion, from the current fiscal year, the data showed. Proposed military personnel costs totaled NT$156.5 billion, a decrease of 1.3 percent, or NT$2 billion, which the DGBAS attributed to savings from ending conscription.

Source: Taipei Times August 16, 2018 15:56 UTC