“Senator Somchai” noted The government delayed the draft budget for 2024, hoping to bring in the disbursed budget in time. Going to distribute 10,000 baht in the digital wallet project or not? Along with asking how can this money be transferred to be used for arbitrary distribution?
Reporters report that Mr. Somchai Sawangkarn, member of the Senate (Senator), analyzed the government's distribution of money in the 10,000 baht top-up project via Digital Wallet, worth 500 billion baht, on the evening of April 16, 2024.FacebookThat it's not as easy as you think. which as the government has stated The 500 billion baht digital wallet project can be implemented and can be managed through the entire budget process. It is budget management, divided into 3 parts: from the 2024 budget in the amount of 175 billion baht, from the 2025 budget another 1527 billion baht, and from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) in the amount of 1723 billion baht.
Mr. Somchai would like to ask questions and make observations about the source of the first part of the money, which the government claims will manage the 2024 budget of 175 billion baht by considering what items can be adjusted. And there will be additional use of the central budget as follows:
1. Presenting the draft Budget Act for fiscal year 2024 to the Cabinet (Cabinet) and the House of Representatives. Delayed for at least 4 months despite the drafting of the Act by various ministries. Passing of the Budget Bureau was completed in the previous government. Despite claims that the new government has just taken office Need to improve the draft Budget Act to match that government policy No government took the time to fix it. Budget Act For as long as this government
“Therefore, it was noted that delay There was only 5 months left to use the budget. Was that a delay or deliberate mistake? who want to make various investments Hundreds of billions in large government projects for the overall progress of the country. The budget was not disbursed in time. In order to use the remaining budget to do a project to distribute digital money of 175 billion baht from the Budget Act 2024, which still has questions about whether it is an action that violates election laws. Will you promise to give it too?”
2. Using more than 175 billion baht of remaining funds from the 2024 budget, which will be transferred for missions in the digital wallet project. It has been clearly verified in both the statements to the House of Representatives and the Senate. In every item of the budget of 3.48 trillion baht There is no digital wallet distribution project set up for this item. Budget Act 2024: How can the Cabinet transfer this money to be used for arbitrary distribution?
3. Retrieving the said remaining budget Because we know that various agencies Will not be able to spend the budget in time With only 5 months remaining in the fiscal year, the remaining budget must be transferred to the central budget first. But there is a question that follows: To use the remaining budget Do we need to enact a law on budget transfer? Because if used in the digital wallet project without enacting budget transfer legislation will be checked for urgent needs This is definitely a condition for spending the central budget as well.
