Bangkok: "Parit" Wacharasindhu, a Member of Parliament from the People's Party, has called on the Budget Committee to clarify the transfer of 6 billion baht to the central budget, expressing concerns over potential government evasion of scrutiny. During the debate on the draft Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2027 at the Parliament building, Mr. Parit emphasized the necessity for vigilant oversight of the ad hoc committee's budget considerations amid the country's fiscal constraints, limited investment opportunities, and anticipated rise in public debt.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Parit highlighted that although the Budget Committee's proceedings were broadcast live, thereby enhancing public oversight, the committee's budget cuts amounted to just over 11 billion baht, or 0.29%. This reduction is not significantly different from previous years and is notably less than the cuts made between 2020 and 2022.
Mr. Parit expressed particular concern over the allocation of the reduced funds, with approximately 54%, or about 6 billion baht, redirected to the central budget under the reserve funds category for emergencies or necessities. He pointed out that the central budget's spending details are less transparent to Parliament compared to those earmarked for specific projects. While acknowledging the importance of reserve funds amid global volatility, Mr. Parit questioned the necessity of an additional 6 billion baht when the 2027 emergency reserve fund already exceeds the previous year's by 2 billion baht.
The mid-year budget, increasing by almost 10% from the previous year, includes an additional 12 billion baht for addressing the energy crisis, which might overlap with a 400 billion baht loan authorized under the government's emergency decree. Mr. Parit urged the committee majority to justify the reallocation of specific task budgets to the central budget, suggesting a potential government strategy to consolidate funds for future use, thereby limiting parliamentary scrutiny.
Additionally, Mr. Parit argued that the current budget allocation neglects critical aspects of the country's future, particularly in education and research and development. Although the budget for vocational education materials and remote area education saw increases of 96 million and 97 million baht respectively, the Student Loan Fund (SLF) did not receive additional funding despite concerns over student access to educational loans.
He warned that if the SLF fails to improve its loan repayment collections compared to the previous year, many students could risk losing access to loans under the 2027 education plan. Mr. Parit emphasized the need for better SLF fund management, asserting that young people should not suffer from these financial management issues.