NLA approves 2019 budget

[snoop1130]

NLA approves 2019 budget

By The Nation

 

 

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday approved the government budget bill for fiscal 2019, in which Bt3 trillion has been set aside for the ministries and their projects and expenditure.

 

After three hours of debate, 206 legislators present voted in support of the bill, with no votes against.

 

The meeting was chaired by the assembly’s president, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai.

 

Only a handful of NLA members rose to debate the budget bill. They made queries about certain clauses but did not criticise the draft legislation as a whole.

 

Among the big winners are the Defence Ministry, which is to get Bt117.6 billion; the Education Ministry, Bt297.3 billion; the Interior Ministry, Bt43.9 billion; and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, Bt25.5 billion.

 

The government’s fiscal year starts on October 1 and ends on September 30.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30353362

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-8-30

[Eligius]

Note that not one word - not one blessed syllable - is spoken about setting aside sufficient money for a thing called ..... an 'election'.

 

They know already that there ain't going to be one in 2019. That's pretty obvious by now. They've factored in all sorts of 'delay elements' (sad and  happy) which will keep the junta juggernaut rolling along unopposed  ....

 

 

[Cadbury]

37 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

NLA approves 2019 budget

By a show of hands of those who happened to turn up and who were awake at the time. What a corrupt government!

[baboon]

34 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Note that not one word - not one blessed syllable - is spoken about setting aside sufficient money for a thing called ..... an 'election'.

 

They know already that there ain't going to be one in 2019. That's pretty obvious by now. They've factored in all sorts of 'delay elements' (sad and  happy) which will keep the junta juggernaut rolling along unopposed  ....

 

 

Maybe any election would be covered by the Interior budget, not that I am banking on anything other than 'Look, it's too complicated right now. Next year for sure'...

[Samui Bodoh]

Respectfully, it isn't unusual to not have election funding in a normal budget as there is always uncertainty regarding the dates, even in normal times. Creating and passing a supplementary budget for the election is easy and no big deal.

 

Of greater concern;

 

"...After three hours of debate, 206 legislators present voted in support of the bill, with no votes against..."

 

When not a single person has a problem with a 3 TRILLION Baht budget, that screams "ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!"

 

Is anyone listening?

 

Sad sad times for beloved Thailand...

 

 

 

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

By a show of hands of those who happened to turn up and who were awake at the time. What a corrupt government!

Not that any of this matters.

 

Traditional good old boys/girls club.

[Srikcir]

15 hours ago, Eligius said:

Note that not one word - not one blessed syllable - is spoken about setting aside sufficient money for a thing called ..... an 'election'.

I'm not sure if its an oversight.

 

This is likely the budget only for the Executive Branch of government that encompasses all the PM and his Cabinet Ministries. This budget would be submitted to the Parliament by Office of the Prime Minister.

The EC is a Constitutional Organization or previously called an Independent Organization. I would expect their budget would be submitted to Parliament directly by the EC for consideration:

"The [NLA extraordinary] committee will hold a meeting every Monday and Friday to go through the budget proposals for ministries in charge of economic, social, security and admininistrative [sic] affairs, followed by independent agencies." (my italics) http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/2019-budget-bill-go-final-reading-aug-30/

 

Finding a clear and complete breakdown of Thailand's approved all encompassing annual fiscal budgets in public articles is a challenge - at least through my resources.

[Srikcir]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Among the big winners are the Defence Ministry, which is to get Bt117.6 billion

• "The 2019 allocation for the Defence Ministry is Bt5.2 billion more than in the previous year, bringing total spending by the Armed Forces to Bt949 billion since the coup."

When the NLA began its deliberation in June 2018 the proposed budgets for the biggest allocations seems inconsistent with the current article:

• "In the 2019 budget, the Education Ministry gets the biggest allocation of Bt489 billion, followed by a central budget of Bt468 billion, the Interior Ministry gets Bt373 billion, the Finance Ministry Bt242 billion, and the Defence Ministry Bt227 billion."

As I've pointed out before not all the defense related budget is found in the Defense Budget but rather allocated in part to other ministries that request military resources. That may explain why Bt328 billion for national security was earmarked in the submitted budget.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30347160

To say the least there must be some reconciliation available that explains the details of the newly approved Fiscal Year 2019 budget (Oct. 1, 2018-Sept. 31, 2019) to the original government submittal to the NLA. I haven't found it.