A new controversy has erupted in Taiwan as the Executive Yuan (the administrative branch) stands accused of unlawfully using new Taiwan dollars (NT$) 500 million in budget funds that had been frozen by the legislature. The move has drawn fierce criticism from opposition lawmakers and the public alike.

According to reports from Taiwan's China Times on September 4, the Executive Yuan's 2025 budget totaled NT$1.5 billion, of which NT$500 million was frozen by the Legislative Yuan. However, the final accounts report shows an actual expenditure of NT$1.49 billion, indicating the frozen funds were spent anyway. Blue Camp legislators have questioned the apparent discrepancy between the accounts and the available spending limit, demanding the Executive Yuan explain its use of funds.

The freeze originated during the Legislative Yuan's review of the 2025 central government budget. Then-Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan, Gong Ming-xin, left a meeting room to answer a phone call without obtaining the committee convenor's consent, triggering opposition lawmakers' discontent. They resolved to freeze NT$500 million of the Executive Yuan's budget until Gong appeared before the legislature to report and apologize. Since Gong never apologized, the Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee refused to release the funds in May last year.

After deducting the frozen NT$500 million, the Executive Yuan should have had approximately NT$1.03 billion available for the fiscal year. Yet the final accounts show spending nearly matching the original total budget, suggesting the frozen funds were ultimately utilized. The central accounting agency reportedly argued that since the Legislative Yuan's resolution only froze NT$500 million without specifying which line item, the Executive Yuan reclassified the amount as personnel expenses, which are considered statutory expenditures.

Kuomintang legislator Hsu Yu-chen questioned this rationale, stating that if the executive branch can arbitrarily reassign budget categories, the legislature's budget oversight becomes meaningless. A Facebook page called "Taiwan Web Window" also slammed the move, noting the frozen funds were marked as fully spent in the accounts, asking whether the administration simply ignores laws it dislikes and spends money without oversight.

Kuomintang legislator Lai Shyh-bao called on the Executive Yuan to explain itself clearly instead of playing word games, accusing it of "illegally diverting frozen funds with complete disregard for the law." Chen Ching-lung, caucus convener of the Taiwan People's Party in the Legislative Yuan, expressed shock that the Democratic Progressive Party administration's lawlessness "has no limit," noting the frozen funds were spent despite the release conditions never being met.

The controversy has sparked widespread anger among Taiwanese netizens. Comments include: "They spent the money first, then claim others are blocking the budget? They play both god and devil, it's disgraceful!" "This is truly outrageous, it must be illegal..." "Completely lawless!" "If they need more, they can propose a special budget, they're really something."