PP senator says spending is increased
PUBLISHED: 18 Feb 2025 at 04: 00
The main opposition People’s Party ( PP ) has raised concerns over the Social Security Office’s ( SSO ) budget spending, citing excessive expenses on overseas visits, training and public relations.
In a Facebook post following the” Hack the SSO Budget” conference on Saturday, Bangkok MP Ratchanok Srinok, a member of the House committee surveillance budget planning and wasting, outlined six pressing issues.
She said the SSO’s paying has risen significantly over the past four years, from 4 billion ringgit in 2020 to 6.61 billion ringgit in 2023. Its strategic resources even doubled, from 965 million ringgit in 2020 to two billion ringgit in 2024.
Among the key issues was the function of the SSO’s 1506 Hotline, which is already allocated 100 million ringgit. Half of this year’s budget, however, was spent on rental fees, despite frequent complaints about busy lines from Social Security Fund ( SSF ) subscribers.
Ms Ratchanok questioned whether the 550 million baht spent in 2023 on software development, asking whether the shift from a computer-based structure to a web-based system was needed.
She claimed that the” SSO ” portable app, which was apparently produced for 276 million baht, was a result of rumors about irregularities in the purchasing process.
According to the MP, the software received a consumer rating of only 1.5 stars, with clients unable to use it to make repayments.
Ms. Ratchanok also suggested that programs like foreign language development, which were useless and lacking in appropriate assessment, had been squandered on SSO training budgets.
Additionally, according to Ms. Ratchanok, the company’s public relations approach failed to appeal to younger audiences because it presented detailed information in a ungeattractive manner.
She noted that the most popular online social security-related material was produced by independent developers, not the SSO itself, which set off 336 million for common connections in the 2024 fiscal year.
Boonsong Thapchaiyuth, the chair of the SSO board, the office’s permanent secretary, stated yesterday that the organization planned to clarify the concerns raised by the MP.
He assured that the expenses involved were separate from the SSF, and that they did not have an impact on the benefits of SSF subscribers.
SSO secretary-general Marasri Jairangsri said that subscribers have alternative payment options, with 96 % of transactions being processed through e-banking systems.
In the SSO board member election in December 2023, the Progressive Social Security Administration, an affiliate of the PP, won all seven seats representing the employee sector. The board consists of 21 members, including representatives from employees, employers, and government agencies.