NLA approves 2019 budget
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday approved the government budget bill for fiscal 2019, in which Bt3 trillion has been set aside for the ministries and their projects and expenditure.
After three hours of debate, 206 legislators present voted in support of the bill, with no votes against.
The meeting was chaired by the assembly’s president, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai.
Only a handful of NLA members rose to debate the budget bill. They made queries about certain clauses but did not criticise the draft legislation as a whole.
Among the big winners are the Defence Ministry, which is to get Bt117.6 billion; the Education Ministry, Bt297.3 billion; the Interior Ministry, Bt43.9 billion; and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, Bt25.5 billion.
The government’s fiscal year starts on October 1 and ends on September 30.
