National security spending up as Bt3.2-trillion spending budget gets Cabinet nod

The expenditure budget is divided into seven parts in accordance with the seven national strategies.
1. 13.4 per cent of the expenditure budget, or Bt428 billion, is allocated for national security. The budget for national security in the previous fiscal year was Bt321.78 billion;
2. 11.8 per cent, or Bt380 billion, has been allocated for improving national competitiveness;
3. 17.9 per cent, or Bt570 billion, is allocated for development of human resources;
4. 23.9 per cent, or Bt766 billion, will cater to promotion of social equality;
5. 3.7 per cent, or Bt118 billion, will promote quality of living; 
6. 15.8 per cent, or Bt500 billion, is allocated for the improvement of state management; 
7. 13.5 per cent, or Bt431 billion, is reserved for unexpected spending in the future such as emergency and debt management.

The budget deficit has risen by 4.2 per cent year on year to Bt469 billion.
The government has set the central budget, a contingency fund, at Bt518 billion.
The Education Ministry gets the highest allocation with Bt368 billion, Interior Ministry gets Bt353 billion, Finance Ministry gets Bt249 billion, Defence Ministry gets Bt233 billion, Energy Ministry gets Bt2.158 billion and Industry Ministry gets Bt5.363 billion.
Of the total central budget, Bt400 billion is for pension
payments to retiring officials and medical expenses of 
the officials, Budget Bureau director-general Dechapiwat na Songkhla said.
The budget under the purview of the prime minister has been retained at Bt100 billion, the same as in the previous fiscal year, he added.