TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The agriculture minister pledged on Monday (Nov. 18) to review and improve the tendering process for media promotions and ensure it doesn't target specific outlets. The promise came during the Economics Committee's (立法院經濟委員會) examination of the 2025 government's budget, during which the Ministry of Agriculture's (MOA, 農業部) advertising was scrutinized.
The Budget Center's (預算中心) report revealed a high concentration of media spending within the MOA between 2021 and 2023, with six of the top 10 contractors repeatedly receiving over 40% of the total funds.
Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐) noted that the 2025 central government advertising budget increased by 65% to NT$2.588 billion, placing the MOA among the top five departments in media spending. Cheng recommended that restrictive tender amounts not exceed 10% of all advertising expenses to prevent monopolization by specific media.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Legislator Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) mentioned Premier Cho Jung-tai's (卓榮泰) emphasis on the government's issue of concentrated media bidding, urging the ministry to consider diverse media outlets. Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) clarified that this year's bidding involved eight media companies, including TTV (台視), CTS (華視), ERATV (年代), SETN (三立), BCC (中廣), EBC (東森), FTV (民視), and kbro (凱擘), indicating a broader distribution.
He also committed to considering legislators' suggestions, acknowledging that focusing on specific media could lead to a narrower communication channel.
