Research budget gets B8bn boost

The House has reversed a decision to cut 63.7% or 8 billion baht from the annual budget requested to fund science, research and innovation.

The House committee vetting the government’s 2020 budget bill was convinced by the Ministry of Higher Education Science Research and Innovation’s appeal of the original decision made during the Dec 4 budget deliberations, Minister Suvit Maesincee said yesterday.

The House committee resolved on Tuesday to return the 8 billion baht to the fund, he added.

Mr Suvit yesterday pledged to ensure that his ministry would use the allocated budget to maximise the country’s research and development capacity in all areas.

The 12.5-billion-baht budget was slashed because the Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), which manages the fund, failed to explain to the House why such a large sum was needed, said a source familiar with the matter.

Mr Suvit then sought Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak’s permission to defend the TSRI’s request, said the same source.

After being given the opportunity to appeal against the budget cut, Mr Suvit provided additional information to support the 12.5-billion-baht request, which won the approval of the House, said the source.

The 2020 budget is expected to receive parliamentary approval early next year, as the coalition government has sufficient votes in the House to pass the bill, according to Kobsak Pootrakool, the Prime Minister’s Office Minister.

The 3.2-trillion-baht budget passed the first of three readings on Oct 19 in the House of Representatives, after three days of intense debate.

Of the 486 MPs present, 251 voted in favour, 234 abstained and one did not cast a vote.

The 18-party coalition government has a wafer-thin majority in the 498member House of Representatives.