Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has had NT$20 million cut from its annual budget by the Legislative Yuan, but for the general public it counts as good news — commonly used services will not be affected, and fees will not go up.

• The Legislative Yuan passed the 2026 (Republic of China year 115) general budget on its third reading, cutting NT$20 million from the Mainland Affairs Council's funding contribution to the SEF.
• The proposed cut had at one point been as high as more than NT$140 million, but was substantially reduced after negotiations.
• Frequently used public services — document verification, services for Taiwanese businesspeople, legal consultations and the 24-hour emergency service hotline — will all continue to operate as normal.
• There is currently no need to raise document verification fees; the SEF had previously warned that a large budget cut could force a shift to a user-pays model.

Outlook: Operations from September to December this year will be the key point to watch. If funding becomes tight, pressure to raise fees could resurface.