Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said ahead of the 2024 Budget Bill debate on Wednesday he was not worried about the outcome, his ministers were well prepared to explain their budget allocations.
Mr Srettha, who is also finance minister, said he called a meeting with almost 50 government MPs on Tuesday night and all were ready to answer questions that may be raised by members of the parliament.
“The government is duty-bound to prepare the budget and the legislative branch also has a duty to inquire. It’s our duty. I’m not particularly concerned,’’ the prime minister said .
The three-day debate on the budget bill began on Wednesday morning. The budget for fiscal 2024 provides for spending of 3.48 trillion baht with a deficit of 693 billion baht, up from the 593 billion deficit approved by the previous government before last year's May 14 general election was called.
Mr Srettha said all cabinet ministers were ready to explain their budget spending if asked.
The prime minister shrugged off opposition remarks that the budget bill did not align with the government’s stated policies, saying the debate had not even started but already there was criticism. He asked that the government be allowed to explain the budget first, and then it would answer questions raised by the opposition.
Mr Srettha, who is not a sitting MP, said he would be on standby at parliament during the three-day debate, if needed.
Opposition leader and Move Forward Party leader Chaithawat Tulathon said ahead of the debate on Wednesday that the MFP would focus on whether the bill adhered to the government’s earlier announced policy statements. The budget bill reflected the actual political situation in the forming of the coalition government, he said.
It was clear that the spending plans of ministries and the budget bill did not reflect the government’s stated policies and goals. Over the 3-day debate, he hoped that the government could explain that, in detail.
He said the opposition would make recommendations useful to the government in administering the country, and to the public.
The government and the opposition had each been allocated 20 hours to debate the budget, the opposition leader said.
Asked whether the government’s plan to borrow more than 600 billion baht because estimated revenue fell short of expenditure, and another 500 billion to fund its digital money handout, would affect the country’s economy, Mr Chaithawat said there might be some problems.
Income projections were likely to be overstated, he said. At the same time, the planned expenditure budget was probably not enough to meet actual expenses.
The two issues had become problematical because the previous government of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had created a burden for the new government. These issues would be raised for debate, the opposition leader said.
He also said the opposition would not raise the issue of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's hospitalisation during the debate.
Of the 3.48 trillion baht, 2.53 trillion baht is budgeted for fixed government annual expenditure, accounting for 72.8% of the total planed spending, 118.36 billion baht (3.4%) for boosting treasury reserves, 717.72 billion baht (20.6%) for investment spending and 118.32 billion baht (3.4%) for repaying loans. Of the loan repayments, 7.23 billion baht is loans for state enterprise investments.