Bangkok: Pol. Col. Tawee Chong has outlined four principles for controlling the 2027 budget, emphasizing the rule of law and ensuring budget spending yields tangible results. At the Parliament building, Pol. Col. Tawee Sodsong, a Member of Parliament from the Prachachart Party (list proportional representation), stated that during the consideration of the draft Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2027, an amendment was proposed to add the principle of "to uphold the rule of law" to serve as a key framework for the collection, allocation, and use of government budgets.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Col. Tawee stated that a good budget should not merely be about allocating funds or expediting disbursements to meet targets, but must ensure that state missions are accomplished and that benefits the public genuinely. Every baht must have a justification, be transparent, and be auditable. He also observed that in the past, budget preparation often referenced alignment with national strategies, but in practice, problems of inequality and poverty persist, while large budget allocations may not truly address the problems and needs of the people.
Another issue questioned was the government's revenue collection estimate. It was pointed out that if the government projects revenue to parliament to be high, but actual collection falls short of the target, it will result in increased borrowing and higher interest burdens for the country. Pol. Col. Tawee therefore believed that there should be an investigation and accountability for the preparation of revenue estimates, so that the figures submitted to Parliament are more thorough and reflect the actual financial situation more accurately.
Furthermore, concerns were raised regarding the proportion of government personnel spending, stating that this amount, when combined with government-related expenses, exceeds 1.4 trillion baht, or approximately 37.9% of the total budget. It was emphasized that this does not mean the government does not need personnel, but rather that efficiency and transparency in budget spending must be prioritized.
Pol. Col. Tawee also cited the issue of corruption in local government recruitment examinations, mentioning the modification of data files thousands of times to change names or scores before the data was altered later. He noted that this problem reflects the need to create a strong verification system and restore public trust in the government system.
The proposed rule of law framework for the budget comprises four key areas: promoting transparency and preventing corruption, establishing a system of checks and balances, linking expenditures to actual outcomes, and promoting decentralization. Pol. Col. Tawee further stated that the inclusion of these principles aims to serve as a "compass" guiding the use of the 2027 budget, ensuring that every step adheres to the rule of law and that the use of government funds truly benefits the people.