On Monday Premier Lai Ching-te affirmed the government's commitment and support for the nation's cultural affairs during the third meeting of the Executive Yuan's culture board.
The Cabinet recently approved NT$20.283 billion (US$660.4 million) for the Ministry of Culture (MOC) under the central government's general budget for 2019. This is the first time the MOC budget has topped the NT$20 billion mark and represents an increase of 13.7 percent over the 2018 figure.
Upon taking office last year, Premier Lai designated "Cultural Taiwan" as a major policy goal with an eye to strengthening Taiwan's cultural power and national competitiveness. The Executive Yuan also approved a cultural living environment project under the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program to integrate and build infrastructure and capabilities to enrich the cultural lives of local communities across Taiwan. Other project objectives include preserving the unique cultural features of each region, and revitalizing historic buildings and assets.
Cultural affairs are the embodiment of the nation's cultural power, requiring wholehearted engagement from central and local governments in conjunction with the private sector, the premier said. For this reason, the board of culture convenes on a regular basis to integrate resources and improve lateral communication among government agencies, while drawing on the expertise, experience and insights of board members from the private sector. Working together, the board promotes national cultural policies to deepen the cultural roots of the Taiwanese people.