BMA gets almost THB80 billion for 2023, governor’s budget trimmed

The decision was made at a meeting on Thursday between BMC and BMA executives. Also attending was Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

At the meeting, the extraordinary committee in charge approved a budget of 79.72 billion baht for the BMA.

Welcoming the approval, Chadchart said the funds will be used carefully and efficiently with the Bangkok residents’ benefits in mind.

He said this was the first time he has worked with BMC and everything went smoothly. Chadchart has been in his post as Bangkok governor since June 1.

Chadchart also said that the BMC has adjusted some policies and agreed to increase the budget for district offices by 1.1 billion baht, which he said was at the heart of his policy.

He also said that more funding has been earmarked for Education, Social Development and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation departments, while the governor’s budget has been reduced. This, he said, was a good thing as it will respond to people’s needs directly.

Chadchart said the BMA and BMC are obliged to not just take care of the people, but also build confidence and trust in the city’s democratic regime.

He also pointed out that decentralisation is necessary so the BMA and BMC can respond to people’s needs with transparency and efficiency.

Separately, the governor proposed two drafts for the council’s approval. One is to give an annual award to Bangkok officials and employees and the other is for setting up a fund for public health research. The meeting appointed two extraordinary committees to consider these drafts within 15 days.

As for rewarding officials and employees, Chadchart said nothing can be achieved if their morale is low.

At the meeting, Future Forward Party’s council representative Peerapong Kanokwilai said the construction of the bridge across the Chao Phraya River at the Kiak Kai intersection should be halted until public opinion has been collected.

He also suggested that the Public Works Department be allocated more funds to boost the capacity and accessibility of Bangkok parks, instead of giving these funds to the Environment Department.

Peerapol also suggested reducing the amount the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department spends on trade shows, as this should be covered by the government.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party member Wirat Kongkhakhet said that the Environment Department should shift from approving the purchase of diesel-run vehicles to those using renewable energy instead.

Napak Pengsuk, another council member from the Future Forward Party, questioned the amount of money spent by the Lat Phrao district office on maintenance and transport.

Sansit Naothavorn, also from Future Forward, also asked the Wattana district office to consider building cesspools alongside newly built roads.