Parliament yesterday began deliberating the 3.18-trillion-baht budget bill for fiscal 2023 in its second and third readings with a revised spending plan in which 7.64 billion baht has been cut.
Finance Minister, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, who chairs the House committee scrutinising the bill, explained details of the revision to parliament, saying the committee has examined details of budget requests from a total of 734 agencies and attached importance to the benefits which the public will gain from the budget spending.
Budget spending is in line with the national strategy, the draft of the 13th economic and social development blueprint, the national reform plan, the draft of the national security plan, as well as measures to tackle poverty, Mr Arkhom said.
The committee also made recommendations for the government to find ways to boost state revenue, reduce borrowing, improve spending of out-of-budget money, and merge or integrate agencies whose tasks overlap, he said.
Mr Arkhom said the committee has scaled down spending at several agencies, worth 7.64 billion baht, in line with the national strategy and other development blueprints with spending on organising seminars, hiring advisers and overseas trips cut to save costs.
Spending not in line with changing circumstances, projects that have been implemented using budgets reallocated from the 2022 budget and projects that have been scrapped or can be financed by other funding sources are not included in the 2023 budget bill, he said.
"In considering budget cuts and changes, the committee has given special attention to the readiness and the capabilities of agencies, the duplication of work, their objectives and past performances, and particularly the key missions to support post-pandemic economic recovery and growth," Mr Arkhom said.
Parit Wacharasindhu, a House committee member from the Move Forward Party, took aim at the proposed budget spending. "We are not sure that provinces allocated the largest amounts for road repairs or improvement of water sources really have these problems," he said.
"Regarding the road repair budget, if we look at the seven provinces allocated the largest amounts, the party which Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob belongs to has MPs in all seven," he said, referring to the Bhumjaithai Party.