Taiwan's opposition-controlled legislature passed the 2026 central government budget, and the Cabinet says targeted cuts to key agencies are bad news for how the government runs.

• The Executive Yuan flagged seven cuts it calls unreasonable, warning they could paralyze parts of the government.
• The president's discretionary state affairs fund was slashed and frozen, leaving almost none of it usable for the rest of the year.
• The media regulator NCC had its basic operating budget for the rest of the year wiped out, which the Cabinet says amounts to crippling an independent agency.
• Government policy-messaging money was cut nearly in half, and funds for human rights and transitional justice work were largely eliminated.
• Money for disaster-relief field trips and pay for junior contract staff also got zeroed out.

Outlook: The next year's budget goes to the Cabinet on the 20th, with the government hoping for a smoother, on-schedule review.