NLA SESSION
Budget Bill gets the nod
Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula gestures while addressing the National Legislative Assembly during its debate on the Budget Bill yesterday.
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Bt1.57-trillion bill wins substantial support in debate
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday passed the Bt1.566-trillion Budget Bill for 2007.
Of the 242 members, 148 attended the session and 147 approved the bill after five hours of debate.
The Bill will soon be passed on to His Majesty the King for endorsement before becoming effective.
The budget includes a controversial Bt115 billion for the defence ministry - up more than 30 per cent compared to last year.
Military leaders have insisted on its appropriateness while denying they abused their power to increase the budget after staging the coup on September 19.
During the debate, some NLA members questioned whether budget allocations were totally fair for all government agencies.
Akaphol Sorasuchart said that of the Bt2.9 billion, which the Community Development Department had sought from state coffers, its strategic plans failed to comply with the framework of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's government.
He said the department, specifically its Centre for Poverty Eradication (CPE), had
copied last year's budget appeal that followed the populist schemes under deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra. They included the registration of poor people and turning assets into capital.
As the CPE personnel had lived under Thaksin's method of administration for years, Akaphol doubted they would be able to adjust themselves to the Surayud government's philosophy within a short period. He asked the government to re-consider the budget for the CPE.
Wiriya Rangsiriphongphan said the government should cut the budget for the Transport Ministry, which has been allocated Bt70 billion.
He said the ministry should not put too much money into repairing main motorways that had been damaged by the use of vehicles. He urged the ministry to build more tollways around the country so that commuters pay for what they use.
Waemahadee Waedaoh said the government had asked for more than Bt10 billion to support its security operations in the deep South - but had only allocated about Bt100 million for education in the region.
"The government is walking in the wrong direction," he said and asked the government to put more money into education for the area.
Weerayut Chokchaimadon
The Nation
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