“Chulaphan” insists on giving importance to the results that the people will receive, using the 68 budget in a worthwhile manner, in line with government policy, in line with the current situation, supporting the stimulation of the national economy.
The House of Representatives meeting, chaired by Mr. Pichet Chueamuangphan, Second Vice President of the House, considered the draft bill on the annual budget for the fiscal year 2025, with a budget of 3.75 trillion baht, a reduction of 7,824,398,500 baht, by considering the items in order.
Mr. Chulaphan Amornvivat, Minister of Finance, as Vice Chairman of the Special Committee (SCC), summarized the main points that the SCC began its consideration on June 26 and completed on August 28. It jointly considered the budget details of 2,987 budget units. The SCC emphasized the results that the public will receive from budget spending that is consistent with the government’s policies, the national strategy, the master plan under the national strategy, the national eco
nomic and social development plan, and the national policy and plan on national security. This is so that the operations of the budget units can proceed efficiently, taking into account the necessity, needs in the area, and the development plans for the area according to the needs of the public. This is to create efficiency, value for money in budget spending, and management results. It also emphasizes the driving of budget units under the principles of good governance, honesty, transparency, and fairness.
Mr. Chulaphan continued that there are important overall proposals for the government to take action on measures to control public debt levels to reduce them in order to maintain the country’s fiscal stability, to define investment expenditures clearly, and to allocate budgets to local administrative organizations in line with accumulated funds so that revenue collection estimates reflect reality. Budget units should integrate data and be able to link data from all budget units, allowing them to display da
ta in the dimensions of income, expenditure, and debt burden, which will help in analyzing overall performance results effectively.
Mr. Chulaphan said that in the operation of the committee, 9 subcommittees were appointed and the committee reduced the budget by 7,824,398,500 baht, considering the consistency with the current situation, including the goals and actual performance, value, readiness for operations, and the potential for budget spending, as well as giving importance to off-budget funds or revenue collected by budget units as information for consideration.
Mr. Chulaphan said that the budget increase, the committee considered appropriateness, necessity, and sufficient for the duties of the agencies as follows: 1. Central budget, as an emergency or necessary reserve fund. 2. Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Department of Older Persons Affairs, as an expense according to the subsidy rights that have been considered by the Elderly Protection Committee under the foster family model.
3. Ministry of Labor, Social Security Office, as an expense according to the right to pay contributions according to the medium-term budget plan for contributions to the Social Security Fund in the portion that the state is still paying. 4. Ministry of Education, Office of the Basic Education Commission, to improve and repair the electrical system for schools in need. 5. Ministry of Public Health, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, construction of medical buildings and dormitories, Boromarajonani College of Nursing, as an expense for producing medical students, nursing students, public health students, nursing assistants, and public health assistants. 6. King Prajadhipok’s Institute, as an expense for improving the Data Center room to be a central data center for collecting important databases, smart classrooms for training and teleconferencing. 7. Parliamentary agencies, court agencies, and independent organizations and the Office of the Attorney General, as an expense for support.
Sufficiently perform the mission of the agency 8. Local Administrative Organization In the part of the Provincial Administrative Organization, it is an expense according to the rights that occur due to supporting the transfer of missions of the Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital. 9. Revolving fund, Student Loan Fund, pay for loans for old borrowers who have a legal loan contract, and the National Health Security Fund, to be an expense for Thai traditional medicine service items, which are part of the medical service fee, and 10. Integrated plan for prevention, suppression, and solving drug problems, to be an expense for purchasing drug test kits.
Mr. Chulaphan added that in addition, the committee considered approving changes to the fiscal year 2025 budget in 2 items: changes to the budgets of 5 state enterprises and changes to the budget of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, the State Personnel Plan, the State Personnel Item, to be the expenditure budget of local administra
tive organizations to be a subsidy to support the transfer of personnel, the 60th Anniversary of Queen Sirikit’s Birthday Health Center and the Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital (Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital) to 47 provincial administrative organizations.
‘In considering the budget details, including the budget reduction, increase and change, the committee has given special importance to the readiness and potential of the agencies, overlap, operational goals, past performance, and important missions for the direct benefit of the people. This is to enable operations within the budget framework to support the country’s economic stimulus, to solve the people’s living problems, to allow the economy to grow and be strong enough to withstand the impacts of both internal and external factors, and to support the country with stability. I and the committee are pleased and ready to clarify the questions of members in each section,’ said Mr. Chulaphan.
Reporters reported that today’s meeting was much late
r than scheduled because the meeting was scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. but actually started at 9:33 a.m. because there was not a quorum.
Source: Thai News Agency