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The first four months of fiscal 2009  will likely see heavy reimbursement of the state budget for mega-transport projects, a source at the Transport Ministry said yesterday.

The transport budget for fiscal 2009 stands at Bt97.9 billion, against Bt87.7 billion during the previous fiscal year. The reimbursement period of the new budget began yesterday and runs until next September 30.

The source said state agencies were expected to rush to reimburse the budget during the first four months, because the House of Representatives could be dissolved soon.

The previous government of Samak Sundaravej could not push forward several new transport mega-projects, given that the fiscal-2008 budget was already allocated for previous projects.

The source said the Transport Ministry was expected to be a major budget spender, given that it has several projects.

In the allocation of the fiscal-2009 budget, the Highways Department secured Bt40.51 billion against Bt40.58 billion in fiscal 2008.

The Rural Roads Department received a budget of about Bt22.36 billion, up from Bt17.3 billion. Of the total, the department plans to spend Bt34.2 billion next year on creating 'dust-free' roads, involving the upgrading of laterite roads nationwide to asphalt-covered roads, totalling 7,223 kilometres.

The project will be completed within a year. The bidding process will start this year.

The State Railway of Thailand gained a budget of Bt9.84 billion, up from Bt7.59 billion, while the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand secured Bt7.91 billion.

The source said the deputy transport ministers - Sophon Salum of the People Power Party and Varawut Silapa-archa from the Chart Thai Party - are interested in overseeing the new projects.