NLA gives final nod to B3tn budget

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday gave final approval to the 2.9-trillion-baht budget for fiscal year 2018, slashing funds by 22 billion baht.

During four hours of deliberation, no NLA members discussed the securityrelated aspects of the spending plan, though some offered their opinions on other aspects.

Under the bill, the Education Ministry will be allocated the largest portion of 510 billion baht or about 17.6% of overall budget, followed by the Interior Ministry (350 billion baht), the Finance Ministry (230 billion baht) and the Defence Ministry (220 billion baht).

The spending plan for the 2018 fiscal year was different from previous years in that it was prepared in line with the government’s strategic plans such as national reconciliation, anti-corruption, and legal and justice reforms.

In presenting the report to the NLA, Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong, who led a committee scrutinising the budget bill, said the panel took into consideration spending efficiency and needs when fine-tuning the budget.

A total of 22.16 billion baht was slashed, he said, adding that among those affected were schemes deemed unnecessary or lacking a purpose including seminars, overseas field trips and projects facing delays.

The committee also made some recommendations about budget allocation and spending to certain agencies including the Royal Thai Army, which owns several radio stations.

It suggested the army should make better use of its resources in communicating with the public about government work and countering false or distorted information.

Every state agency was also urged to come up with a vision with clear objectives, action plans, and time frames to achieve those goals.

After some discussion, the NLA proceeded to vote on the budget bill.

The draft law for 2018 which starts on Oct 1 sailed through with support from 200 NLA members and three abstentions.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam yesterday assured the spending would be transparent and in line with fiscal discipline.