Court ruling on infrastructure bill sought
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Seventy-seven lawmakers yesterday filed a request with the House Speaker seeking a Constitution Court ruling on whether the Public Private Partnerships bill violates the charter.
Appointed Senator Paiboon Nititawan said if the bill takes effect, it would be used by the government to facilitate the implementation of projects under the Bt2-trillion borrowing bill without undergoing scrutiny.
Paiboon claimed the legislation contained several provisions that violate the charter. For example, he said, the bill’s Article 28, which empowers the Cabinet to approve fund allocations, transgresses Article 169, which stipulates that budget allocation must be done in accordance with the laws on budget expenditure, budget procedures and budget transfers. Article 15 of the bill, Paiboon said, bypasses the need to select a private firm through a bidding process, as it stipulates that the Private Participation in State Undertaking 1992 Act would not apply.
