B7. 6bn slashed from 2023 spending plan
Parliament yesterday began deliberating the 3. 18-trillion-baht budget bill just for fiscal 2023 in its second and 3rd readings with a revised spending plan by which 7. 64 billion baht has been cut.
Financing Minister, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, who chairs the home committee scrutinising the bill, explained details of the revision in order to parliament, saying the particular committee has examined details of budget demands from a total of 734 agencies and attached importance to the benefits which the public will gain from your budget spending.
Budget spending is in line with the national strategy, the particular draft of the 13th economic and social development blueprint, the national reform program, the draft from the national security program, as well as measures in order to tackle poverty, Mr Arkhom said.
The committee also made tips for the government to find ways to boost state revenue, reduce borrowing, improve investing of out-of-budget cash, and merge or integrate agencies in whose tasks overlap, he said.
Mr Arkhom mentioned the committee has scaled down spending at several agencies, worth 7. sixty four billion baht, in line with the national strategy as well as other development blueprints along with spending on organising workshops, hiring advisers and overseas trips reduce to save costs.
Spending not in line with changing conditions, projects that have been applied using budgets reallocated from the 2022 spending budget and projects which have been scrapped or can be financed by other funding sources are not included in the 2023 spending budget bill, he said.
“In considering budget cuts and changes, the particular committee has provided special attention to the readiness and the capabilities associated with agencies, the copying of work, their own objectives and previous performances, and particularly the key missions to aid post-pandemic economic recuperation and growth, ” Mr Arkhom said.
Parit Wacharasindhu, a House committee member from the Move ahead Party, took aim at the proposed budget spending. “We are certainly not sure that provinces allocated the largest amounts regarding road repairs or improvement of drinking water sources really have these types of problems, ” he said.
“Regarding the road restoration budget, if we go through the seven provinces allotted the largest amounts, the party which Transportation Minister Saksayam Chidchob belongs to has MPs in all seven, ” he said, referring to the Bhumjaithai Party.