Su expressed regret at an Executive Yuan meeting over the failure of the general budget bill to pass the legislature in November, marking the first time in Taiwan’s history that the Legislative Yuan failed to pass the government budget before a new fiscal year began.

The law requires the legislature to approve the general budget one month before the fiscal year begins Jan. 1.

The latest legislative session ended Jan. 19 amid clashes between lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition “pan-blue alliance” of the KMT and the People First Party over a draft bill concerning the organization of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The premier advised Ma to refrain from using the budget bill as a bargaining chip in exchange for the passage of the KMT-proposed draft CEC organic act. “Don’t block the people’s welfare out of selfish concerns,” Su said.

The opposition-controlled legislature is not expected to address the 2007 budget bill until March because the legislature will first hold general interpellation sessions when the new legislative session opens next month.

In yesterday’s meeting, Su expressed thanks to his administration for making great efforts in the promotion of the country’s economic development over the past year.

Citing statistics, Su praised the team for creating last year the nation’s lowest unemployment rate in six years, while generating US$266.1 billion in foreign exchange reserves, posing a nearly 3-fold growth compared with the level of 2000.

He has also kept his promise, made a year ago when took over the premiership, to control the annual growth of the average consumers’ price index under the ceiling of 2 percent, Su said, noting that the index recorded a slight 0.6 percent growth in 2006. In terms of foreign investment in Taiwan, the investment stood at US$13.97 billion last year, registering 230 percent year-on-year growth, Su said.

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