Drafters mull budget spending

Charter drafters have moved to address the administration's central budget spending to ensure transparency and accountability.

Pisit Leeahtam, spokesman of the Constitution Drafting Council, said central budget spending controls will come under the charter's new section on monetary, fiscal, and budgetary affairs.

He said the drafters have endorsed the section, which have not been included in previous constitutions.

The central budget spending controls are prompted by the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's management.

The Thaksin government raised the central budget to 40 billion baht without parliament's endorsement when it was normally set at 1% of the national budget, or about 9.9 billion baht.

Mr Pisit said the charter would require the government to explain sources of money it would use to pay back to the treasury reserves.

The government normally borrows from treasury reserves when there is a need for budget spending and the Budget Bill is not ready.

The previous government, however, did not specify how it would pay back to the reserves, raising questions about transparency.

It is proposed that the government should be required to report to parliament the reasons for exempting private firms from taxes, he said.

The drafters have also proposed guidelines to allow public agencies such as the National Counter Corruption Commission and the Election Commission to ask for budget increments in parliament, said Mr Pisit.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Saturday April 07, 2007