House okays two items in budget bill

The meeting was chaired by House Speaker Chuan Leekpai.
The Constitutional Court on February 7 gave a 5-4 ruling that the budget bill can proceed if MPs hold another vote on agenda items 2 and 3, after House Speaker had asked the court to verify whether the legislation was constitutionally sound after three MPs were accused of having their colleagues cast votes on their behalf during their absence from the House.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said the government thanked Parliament and all MPs for approving the fiscal act. “We promise to manage the national budget under good governance practices with the highest efficiency and caution to develop the country and resolve people's problems,” he said. “Most importantly, all expenses of the budget shall be verifiable.”
The next step for the budget bill is to get approval from the Senate, whereas Nat Phasuk, secretary-general of the Senate, said that he had dispatched summons to members of the Senate to a meeting at 2pm on Friday (February 14).
“After the Senate approved the bill, House Speaker Chuan will submit the bill to the Prime Miminister who will wait five days for appeals, if any, to be reconsidered, before presenting it to the King to sign,” he added.