Bt343 billion budget sails through the House

The Bt343-billion central budget for 2014 sailed through the House despite the opposition’s attack on the government’s inefficient spending last year. 

During the deliberation, Democrat MP Watchara Pechthong pointed out that the government had used Bt600 million in all to curb anti-government rallies – Bt200 million to control the Pitak Siam protest last year and Bt400 million to deal with the rallies against the amnesty bill.

In addition, he said, Bt2 billion of the national budget has been spent to compensate and rehabilitate the red-shirt protesters who took part in the 2010 political turmoil, while Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s trips overseas. 

In defence, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the PM’s trips were not for pleasure but to promote Thai businesses and tourism, which would contribute a lot more compared to the cost of the trips.

However, Democrat Bangkok MP Vilas Chanpitaksa presented different numbers. Citing a document from the PM’s Office, he called into question the Bt340-million budget approved for police and military operations to provide security during the Pitak Siam rally in November last year.

The police were granted Bt335 million, the Army Bt600,000, the Navy and Air Force Bt48,000 each, and the Internal Security Operations Command Bt3.5 million, the MP said.

“I really have doubts about the sixth item, which is Bt200 million compensation that the Royal Thai Police transferred for a ‘secret mission’ to conduct intelligence work. I wonder if it was really for making money [illicitly], as the allowances, accommodation and wage costs comprised Bt139 million altogether,” he said.

“However, transferring a secret budget cannot be done unless it is identified in the annual budget bill. The government and people involved were smart. Before they asked for approval from the Cabinet on November 20, 2012, the Cabinet had already approved it in principle, saying the protesters were likely to surround Government House, Parliament, besiege the premier and so on, and instigate a situation,” Vilas said.

The central budget, which is not allocated to particular agencies, is part of the total annual budget. The meeting on Wednesday night voted 287:107 in support of cutting Bt31.9 billion from the total Bt2.525-trillion annual budget. 

PM’s Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn said all spending from the government’s central budget in cases of emergency and for other necessities such as the prime minister’s official trips required the approval not only of the prime minister, but of the Cabinet as a whole. 

The Cabinet did not always grant such spending requests, he added. 

Varathep said spending on Yingluck’s trips abroad was necessary – especially for trips made at other countries’ invitation – as this is her first term and she had to strengthen international relations. Spending was always done according to the regulations, the minister said. 

The biggest portion of travel costs went towards airfares. For 2011 and 2012, the budget for airfares was set at Bt61 million, and Bt80 million for 2013, he said, adding that Bt55 million had been earmarked for next year. 

Meanwhile, Varathep said there had been no budget allocation for Yingluck’s proposed political reform council.

The House voted 291:126 to pass Article 4 of the 2014 Budget Bill on the allocation of the central budget, following the vetting committee’s proposal that it be brought down to Bt343 billion from Bt345 billion.