2009 spending plan 'lacking in detail'
By Penchan Charoensuthipan
The Democrat party yesterday criticised the 2009 budget for its lack of clear details, saying that makes it difficult to keep irregularities in check. Party deputy leader Jurin Laksanavisit criticised the government for trying to collect 450 billion baht in corporate income tax despite the economic difficulties facing the country.
He described the budget as a ''ghost budget'', as much of the spending plan lacked clear details.
He said the budget for emergency purposes and the budget for solving the southern unrest, together worth tens of billions of baht, had been allocated to several ministries, but no details of the budget spending were made available.
''The government must spend the budget properly. Do not try to act like the Thaksin Shinawatra government, which poured development budgets only into areas where people voted for Thai Rak Thai,'' Mr Jurin said.
He said the allocation of the 2009 budget for some projects was not transparent, such as the eight-billion-baht project to drain water around Suvarnabhumi airport, which has been carried out since 2005.
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| Opposition and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, right, lodges a petition against the government for supporting Cambodia's proposed listing of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site with Deputy House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont. The petition will be forwarded to the Constitution Court which will be asked to rule whether the government had violated the constitution by pledging its support. — THITI WANNAMONTHA |
According to Mr Jurin, the Office of the Auditor-General has found that the project was overpriced and the National Counter Corruption Commission is investigating the matter.
He said the government has sought an additional budget of more than two billion baht for the project, even though there are no details as to what the money will be spent on.
He also called on the government to keep a tight rein on spending on training and seminars which are worth over four billion baht, saying the money should not be spent on overseas trips..
He noted that eggs _ used as an economic indicator _ are the most expensive under the present government, at four baht each.
Mr Jurin said the rising price of sugar by five baht per kilo was unjustified.
Prior to the hike, sugar mills had old stocks of up to 1.3 million sacks of sugar. With the five-baht price hike, they will gain 6.5 billon baht.
Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit allayed concerns that the tax collected may fall below target.
He confirmed that the government will be able to collect more taxes than the previous year.
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