BUDGET BILL
Mongkol Bangprapa
The government yesterday rushed to scrutinise the Budget Bill with budget proposals for two key ministries sailing through the House in a few hours.
Yesterday's scrutiny of the budget, which was in its second day, saw proposals for the Defence Ministry and the Finance Ministry passed by the majority of House MPs within two hours of the scrutiny process starting.
The Defence Ministry's budget has been increased from 169 billion baht to 170 billion baht.
The Democrat party was critical of the way the ministry's budget had been adjusted. It said most of the budget, or about 150 billion baht, had been earmarked for weapons procurement.
The Democrats also raised doubts over the use of the ministry's budget to tackle southern unrest. They said the budget for this purpose increased every year with little left over for developing the deep South.
However, the budget proposal was approved after 30 minutes of scrutiny, with 221 votes cast by the governing coalition while 81 Democrat MPs voted against it. Two abstained.
The Finance Ministry's budget proposal was trimmed slightly from 202.5 billion baht to 202.3 billion baht.
The Democrats criticised the government for interfering in the affairs of the central bank in the appointment of members of its selection committee.
They also queried Exim Bank's low-interest loans to Cambodia and Burma.
Juti Kraireuk, a Democrat MP for Phitsanulok, said he felt disheartened that MPs had to ask the Finance Ministry to extend repayments of loans for the poor for five more years, but for 20 years the government had granted low-interest loans to Cambodia for the building of roads. He felt that Thais were less of a priority than Cambodians.
Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit defended granting loans to Burma and Cambodia, saying it was the government's policy to boost trade and ties with neighbouring countries.
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