Budget bill clears parliament
Govt promises to ensure transparency
The 3.48-trillion-baht budget bill for the 2024 fiscal year passed parliament yesterday as the government promised to ensure transparency in budget spending, improve people’s livelihoods and steer the economy forward.
This comes as budget allocations earmarked for training and PR programmes, as well as overseas trips, were cut by more than 9.2 billion baht so funds can be diverted to pay for socalled necessary expenses.
The budget bill was passed by 298 votes in favour and 166 votes against, with one abstention, in the final and third reading.
The bill will be presented for approval by the Senate on Tuesday. It will then be submitted for royal endorsement and it is expected to take effect in May, according to sources.
After the vote, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin thanked lawmakers for their support in passing the bill.
“I would like to assure you that the budget requests approved by parliament will be spent in line with the government’s objectives and action plans,” the prime minister said.
“The government will oversee and monitor budget spending to ensure transparency and achieve the policy goals to support efforts to steer economic and social development as well as improve people’s quality of life, while also protecting the environment, so the country can move forward and the people can earn more income.”
Parliament yesterday also endorsed a proposal from the special House committee vetting the budget bill to cut government agencies’ spending on training programmes, seminars, PR campaigns, the hiring of advisers, contracting for service, and overseas trips by more than 9.2 billion baht.
The committee also proposed that the 9.2 billion plus baht should be diverted to fund necessary expenses of other government agencies, courts of justice and independent agencies. The proposal was also endorsed by parliament.
According to sources, the committee has also presented a number of observations and recommendations regarding the budget bill for consideration by the government.
The committee is made up of 72 members from political parties in both the government and opposition camps. It is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.
The committee suggested that the government should make a serious effort to stamp out corruption so the country can have sufficient funds for national development.
It cited i nformation from t he National Anti-Corruption Commission, which found that in 2019, there were complaints about corruption in state procurement projects worth more than 200 billion baht.
Corruption will cause investors to lose confidence in the country’s civil service system, and the public will receive substandard public service, the committee noted.
“The government should devise measures to tackle corruption urgently,” it suggested.
“The National Anti-Corruption Commission, the State Audit Office, and other relevant agencies should inform the government and parliament and the special House committee vetting the budget bill every year about agencies that are accused of corruption in procurement projects,” the committee said.
The committee also suggested government agencies should explain details of their procurement projects funded by the regular national budget and those financed by off-budget money in order to curb the duplication of state projects.