MP queries 'unnecessary' Parliament spending
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A Democrat MP has threatened to file a petition against the House Secretariat alleging corruption in what he described as "splurging of funds", particularly on construction and renovation projects.
Watchara Pechthong, a member of the special House panel vetting the 2014 budget bill, has questioned the Secretariat and the Office of the Parliament President over their “unnecessary” and non-transparent spending on projects.
Watchara said he had asked concerned officials for documents on expenditure incurred but had so far not received a response.
He cited numerous instances, including the Bt300,000 bill for flowers used in a reception for Nguyen Phu Trong, secretary-general of Vietnam’s Communist Party; Bt10 million on the reception for South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kang Chang-hee; Bt100,000 per day for meals for parliamentarians during House sessions; Bt36 million to Bt40 million for the renovation of meeting rooms for the House committee vetting the budget bill; Bt24 million to build a meeting room in the Parliament building and Bt15 million to renovate the statue of King Rama VII in front of Parliament.
“There has not been a single bidding notice for any of these projects. If the secretariat cannot clarify this spending, I will file a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission,’’ he said.
Pheu Thai MP Anurak Boonson also vowed to take legal action against Parliament officials unless the budgeting was clarified.
Parliament secretary-general Suwichag Nakwatchrachai defended the spending by saying that the Bt7 billion spent on construction and renovation projects were allocated from the fiscal budget of 2012. He said some of the buildings and rooms in Parliament had not been repaired for eight years.
He also said the Bt36 million was spent not only on renovation, but also to install high-tech equipment.
However, Watchara asked why such expensive renovations were needed, as the new Parliament building was set to be completed.
In addition, the Democrat said he wanted to scrap the Bt40-million plan to renovate Suwichag’s office as it was unnecessary.
Other members of the panel have also criticised the Bt7 billion-plan to establish provincial branches of Parliament, saying it as too costly.
Parliament this year has requested Bt8.9 billion in fund allocation for the 2014 fiscal budget.
