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Taiwan Legislature to Vote on Competing Drone Procurement Bills Thursday

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2 sources across 2 countries · Taiwan · United Kingdom

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  • Focus Taiwan Taiwan · Centre · Public · Central News Agency, statutory funding
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation

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Taiwan's legislative caucuses have agreed to move the vote on competing drone procurement bills to Thursday. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu proposed the change from the original Friday date to allow lawmakers to inspect flooding damage in southern Taiwan and prepare for Typhoon Saudel. Despite the agreement on timing, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and opposition parties remain divided on the budget and oversight of the program.

The Cabinet proposal, supported by the DPP, seeks a special budget of NT$210 billion (US$6.6 billion) from August 2026 through 2031. This plan designates the Ministry of National Defense (MND) as the competent authority. Defense Minister Wellington Koo argued that the MND requires specific funding for coastal reconnaissance drones, coastal attack drones, and small suicide unmanned surface vessels, stating that annual caps would be insufficient.

The Kuomintang (KMT) proposes a larger budget of NT$240 billion over six years, but suggests an annual spending cap of NT$40 billion and places the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in charge. KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao argued that annual allocations prevent technology from becoming outdated. Meanwhile, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) suggests designating both the MND and MOEA as authorities and funding the program through the general budget without annual limits.

Because the caucuses failed to reach a consensus on these key provisions, the competing bills will be considered during a plenary session on Thursday morning.

How each side framed it

Centre
Both sources maintained a neutral tone, focusing on the legislative disagreements and the logistical reasons for rescheduling the vote.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.