Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has asked state agencies to accelerate the disbursement of the investment budget, as only 18% has been spent since the fiscal year began on Oct 1.
During a meeting on Wednesday with senior officials including permanent secretaries, Ms Paetongtarn expressed concern about the disbursement rate, which was lower than expected.
She said more timely disbursement of funds would help stimulate the economy, particularly after the rollout of the second phase of the 10,000-baht cash handout this week to 3 million senior citizens.
The fiscal 2025 budget of 3.75 trillion baht took effect on Oct 1, with an investment budget of 900 billion baht accounting for 24.2% of total expenditure.
Ms Paetongtarn said all ministries were also instructed to prioritise projects slated for the 2026 fiscal year due to limited funds, and to ensure funding requests were properly prepared and cost-effective.
She also informed participants at the meeting of three key issues this year: regional cooperation to address dust pollution, the 50th anniversary of Thai-Chinese diplomatic ties, and drug trafficking and cybercrime.
A proposed amendment to an executive decree on measures to crack down on technology crime would bolster enforcement efforts, she said.
The cabinet on Tuesday endorsed a legal amendment that would penalise financial institutions, telecom and social media firms for damage from call centre scams if they are found negligent or reckless.
