The government will amend the law governing the telecommunications regulator after its fiscal 2013 expenditures have raised many eyebrows, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told lawmakers on Friday.
Wallop Tangkananurak, a National Legislative Assembly (NLA) member, questioned today the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)'s expenditures.
The NBTC's fiscal 2013 audited operating results showed the regulator had spent more than necessary and not in line with the country's economic situation, Mr Wallop told the NLA.
In the last fiscal year, the 11-member NBTC booked 36 million baht as general expenses, 61 million as expenses for its 105 overseas study tours totalling 632 days and 11 million as position allowances.
Another 118 million baht was expenses for their 110 staff: 31 advisers, 10 secretaries, 20 assistant secretaries, 40 office staff and nine drivers. The staff all received fixed salaries, bonuses, meeting allowances, medical care and domestic and overseas study tours.
The NBTC also set up 65 subcommittees and 37 working committees which incurred 46 million and 3 million baht respectively.
"The number of overseas study tours is staggering so we'd like to know what the government can do to have Parliament vet its budget. Does the government have an emergency measure to check and control the budget spending?" asked Mr Wallop.
Mr Wissanu, speaking on behalf of the prime minister, explained the NBTC was not under the supervision of the government. "This was by design as the intention of the 2010 broadcasting and telecommunication law wants to give the NBTC a free hand, especially when it comes to budgets."
"The law allows the NBTC to set its own budget, which comes from mobile number fees and other services," Mr Wissanu said. "It earns 3-6 billion baht a year from these alone."
To ensure good governance and integrity, the government may amend the law for more checks such as allowing the House's budget committee to scrutinise and question the spending and full disclosure of the balance sheets in the Royal Gazettte and its website, he added.
Mr Wallop also commented a large portion of the NBTC's income came from taking over the core operations of the two state enterprises - TOT Plc and CAT Telecom - bankrupting them.
"Personally, I'd like to see TOT and CAT Telecom consolidated and take back the operations," he said.
Mr Wissanu said the NBTC had been cooperating well so far. "I think the time's ripe for its reform."