Bangkok: "Madam Dear," formally known as Ms. Watanya Bunnag, has called on the government to address three critical questions before proceeding with the injection of 500 million baht into the Village Fund. She criticized the current situation metaphorically as "the old water tank is still leaking," indicating that previous SML (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) funds have yet to reach the intended villagers.
According to Thai News Agency, during a review of the 2027 annual budget bill by an ad hoc committee, Ms. Watanya, a member of the committee, raised concerns about the proposed budget increase intended for village funds. The justification provided for this increase was linked to solar power projects. While Ms. Watanya supports clean energy initiatives, she stressed the importance of ensuring funds reach their intended recipients, noting that significant amounts from previous SML projects have not yet benefited many villagers.
Ms. Watanya outlined three main areas requiring clarification: First, she questioned the status of the original SML project budget for 2025. Despite the allocation of 1 billion baht to 47,000 village funds and the launch of the SML Plus project in 2026, results show that only about 1 billion baht was allocated to 5,500 village funds. The discrepancy raises concerns about whether the funds have effectively reached the villagers.
Additionally, Ms. Watanya questioned whether the new funds would be used for genuinely new projects or simply rebranded existing ones. She highlighted the necessity for the government to ensure that these new funds do not target the same communities or duplicate the existing SML projects, which have specific objectives.
Lastly, she expressed worries about the transparency of fund allocation, metaphorically referring to the replenishment of funds as a "black box." She emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the management of these funds, urging the council to reconsider the appropriateness and effectiveness of the current budget allocation to the Village Fund before approving any new budget proposals.
Ms. Watanya's statements reflect a broader concern over fund management and the necessity for governmental accountability in ensuring that allocated resources effectively reach and benefit the target communities.