PM rallies govt allies to back budget

First reading set to take place on Jan 3

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has asked the government coalition parties to prepare for the upcoming House debate on the Budget Bill for the 2024 fiscal year.

The bill — which is seeking 3.48 trillion baht in funding for the 2024 fiscal year that actually began in October — is scheduled for its first reading on Jan 3–5. Its deliberation is delayed due to the transition of governments following the election.

The premier invited the government’s political partners to a lunch on Thursday, during which he asked them to get themselves ready for next week’s debate, said Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Mr Anutin, who is also the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, said the prime minister stressed that every party must be on the same page in their defence of the Budget Bill.

He said that at the meeting, he also questioned why all the cabinet’s representatives on the committee vetting the Budget Bill were from the Pheu Thai Party.

He said he was informed that the Pheu Thai had prepared a list of 18 representatives, but that the final list would be made after the coalition partners submitted their own lists.

Asked if Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai would chair the committee, Mr Anutin said the post is likely to be given to Mr Phumtham, as he is from the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

Mr Phumtham said on Thursday the scrutiny committee, which would be set up after the Budget Bill passes its first reading, would comprise representatives from all sides who would be fairly represented.

He said the government whips would discuss the issue and allocate the seats in line with a standard protocol, before adding he was assigned by the cabinet to head the committee.

Asked about a possibility the opposition would file a no-confidence motion to grill the government, he said while the opposition could proceed, there is not much to be grilled over.

“The government is working without budget support. There’s no budget for the government to spend at this moment and the Budget Bill is likely to be passed in May. Despite that we’ve made a lot of achievements,” he said.

House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha on Thursday called on the MPs to pick up their copies of the Budget Bill or a summary prepared by the parliament for study before the debate.

He said he hoped the House would see to it that the spending plan would be in the best interest of the public.

The 2024 budget is about 295 billion baht, or 9.3%, higher than the budget sought in the last fiscal year.