After the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) legislative caucus in Taiwan proposed a bill for drone procurement, KMT legislators have introduced two more bills aimed at promoting the upgrade of the drone industry, which include an additional allocation of NT$50 billion (approximately RM6.421 billion) to purchase drones from the US and a requirement for technology transfer.
According to comprehensive reports from Taiwan’s United Daily News and China Times, the KMT caucus on Tuesday announced the “National Defense Indigenous Unmanned Vehicle Technology Development and Procurement Act” draft. This bill opposes the Executive Yuan’s allocation of regular development expenses via “special budgets,” instead advocating for a six-year allocation of NT$240 billion (about RM30.8 billion) to be drawn from annual budgets, with a focus on drone industry development, investment incentives, and anti-corruption mechanisms.
KMT legislator Lai Shyh-bao explained that although Taiwan currently has more than 200 drone manufacturers, they generally lack advanced technology.
The reports pointed out that since Lai Shyh-bao had just accompanied Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu on a visit to the US, his proposal—immediately upon returning to Taiwan—to procure US drones using a special budget drew particular attention.