Unspent govt project funds to be used on rehabilitation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has instructed ministries to review the unspent funds borrowed under the previous Democrat-led government’s Development Policy Loan, which was part of the Strong Thailand project. The unspent funds would be moved to the current government’s post-flood rehabilitation projects, according to deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard.

 

Four projects under the Public Health Ministry worth Bt3.42 billion and one from the Transport Ministry worth Bt1.82 billion would be the first few to lose their unspent funds to flood-rehabilitation projects, the spokesman said.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong told the Cabinet yesterday that about Bt8.8 billion of the loans taken by the previous government had not been earmarked for any particular projects. 

 

Meanwhile, Yingluck also instructed ministries to find out whether any of the Strong Thailand projects were tainted by irregularity. She asked if such projects could be cancelled and Cabinet secretary-general Ampon Kittiampon said it could be done provided no agreements had been signed, the spokesman said.

 

Yingluck told the Cabinet meeting that projects with tied-in budgets should go ahead, while those with no details and unspent funds should be modified into projects for flood rehabilitation.