PM slams Budget Bureau for slow allocation

Yingluck expressed her concern about a delay in disbursement of Bt20.11 billion that the Cabinet approved on December 12, Government Spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng said yesterday after the Cabinet meeting.
“I promised flood victims that relief funds should reach them within three days, but many people in several areas have not yet received [any money]. What is the problem?” Thitima quoted Yingluck as saying to ministers at the meeting.
The prime minister was not happy with the response by the Budget Bureau director, who said the office needed to wait for project proposals from state agencies, Thitima said.
Yingluck ordered the bureau to speed up disbursement, completing it within a week, Thitima said. The next phase of funding worth Bt27 billion is to be allocated before the end of this month.
The prime minister also asked the transport minister to get moving on projects such as road repairs to speed up the recovery process, Thitima said.
Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said provincial governors had submitted projects to the Budget Bureau. “I don’t understand why the bureau has asked us to start over again,” he said.
Industry Minister Wannarat Charnnukul said he had been informed by the bureau that it did not have the Bt120 million in funds demanded by the ministry previously. The ministry would be allocated this amount in the next phase, it said.
Yingluck also assigned Yongyuth to deal with the mountain of garbage and sandbags that have accumulated during the flood, and these should be cleared away within a week. There are an estimated 12,000 tonnes of sandbags left after the flood water receded.
Thitima said Yingluck also assigned Deputy Prime Minister Kowit Wattana to arrange training for workers in house repairs.