Taiwan People's Party Questions High Drone Unit Price; Ministry of Education Says It's a Complete Teaching Package

(Central News Agency, Taipei, June 3) The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) caucus in the Legislative Yuan held a press conference on June 2, questioning the high unit price of drones budgeted by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The MOE explained today that the planned procurement includes the drone body, accessories, consumables, maintenance warranty, and supporting equipment such as sensor-based scoring goals, constituting a complete teaching package.

At the press conference on June 2, the TPP caucus questioned the MOE's plan to procure 2,000 'soccer drones' for elementary and junior high schools, with a total budget of NT$145 million, averaging over NT$70,000 per unit, far exceeding market prices.

The MOE responded in writing to CNA on June 3, stating that the TPP caucus's claims were inaccurate and required a serious clarification. The plan aims to promote drone education through science education, hands-on operation, and competitions, and therefore includes the procurement of soccer drones, programmable drones, and aerial photography drones.

The MOE stated that the procurement includes the drone body, remote controller, batteries, chargers, and other related accessories, as well as consumables and maintenance warranty. It also includes supporting equipment; for example, the soccer drone package includes an inflatable soccer field and sensor-based scoring goals.

The MOE also mentioned that the budget allocation does not equate to the final purchase price. The drone education project is a new initiative for Fiscal Year 2026 (Republic of China year 115) and funds can only be disbursed after the budget review process is completed. Subsequently, the bidding will be announced on the Government e-Procurement System in accordance with the budget review results and the Government Procurement Act to ensure an open and transparent process. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150603