Construction deadline for new Parliament extended to December 2019

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

THE CABINET has set a deadline of December 2019 for the completion of the long-delayed new Parliament complex, after rejecting a request for an additional Bt8.13 billion on top of the original Bt12 billion price tag.

 

Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Cabinet yesterday resolved that construction of the meeting hall for senators and offices of parliamen?tary personnel must be completed by the end of this year.

 

He added that the meeting hall for members of Parliament and the areas connecting all the buildings must be completed by March next year.

 

“All the construction must be fin?ished by December 2019 to prepare for the new MPs after the election,” the spokesman said.

 

An election has been promised for February 2019. New MPs and senators are expected to move to the new Parliament complex, which is located on the bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok’s Kiak Kai district.

 

The Cabinet decision yesterday was made in response to a request by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives for a further exten?sion of the construction period. The secretariat is in charge of the project to construct the new Parliament.

 

Construction of the Bt12-billion complex began in June 2013 and was initially expected to be complete in November 2015. However, it was post?poned to November 2016, February 2018, and now to December 2019.

 

Yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, also approved the secre?tariat’s request for an additional Bt512.5 million in state funding to cover the cost of construction, work supervision and the hiring of project advisers, Sansern said.

 

However, the Cabinet rejected the agency’s request for Bt8.13 billion for the complex’s utilities system, includ?ing air-conditioning and information technology, he added.

 

“The Cabinet did not approve the request. The secretariat was instruct?ed to review its request and provide clearer details next time,” the spokesman told reporters.

 

He said General Prayut listened to comments from representatives from the Budget Bureau, the Finance Ministry and other related agencies before rejecting the budget request.

 

“The prime minister told the meet?ing that a lot of the additional costs involve matters of decor. And he will not allow issues regarding [expensive] microphones and clocks to happen again,” Sansern said, referring to a scandal involving items purchased at inflated prices for the current Parliament building that emerged shortly after the junta came to power.

 

The new Parliament complex, to be called Sappaya Sapa Sathan (“Peaceful Place of Assembly”), is Thailand’s third parliament house, after the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall and the cur?rent complex in Dusit district.

 

Covering an area of more than 424,000 square metres, the new complex can accommodate more than 5,000 people, with parking for some 2,000 cars. In addition to separate meeting halls for the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as both Houses, it also houses museums, a convention centre, seminar room, banquet hall, office area, and other function areas.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30345470

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-16

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said General Prayut listened to comments from .........before rejecting the budget request.

What is the point in even having a parliament? One large plush office for one autocratic man who makes all the decisions would be quite adequate.

In any case, puppet parliamentarians of a rigged democracy might be more comfortable sleeping at home rather than in parliament house. There is no need for them even to be there except to ratify his decisions. That can be done by a text message vote from home.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Construction deadline for new Parliament extended to December 2019

Will be interesting to see if there is a democratically elected government to occupy it in that time.

I foresee an obligation to delay elections until the building is ready...

Construction like election!

Prayut lies this too!

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Will be interesting to see if there is a democratically elected government to occupy it in that time.

There won't be. Not a GENUINELY freely and fairly elected democratic government (only a sham at best).

36 minutes ago, candide said:

I foresee an obligation to delay elections until the building is ready...

Would make sense...

Did they really need a new one? 

34 minutes ago, candide said:

Did they really need a new one? 

Yes, they need a lot more space for those chairs to fully recline horizontally, with drinking-making facilities, a TV and an alarm clock on a table to one side.