NLA endorses budget bill for 2018 fiscal year

By Thai PBS

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The National Legislative Assembly on Thursday (Aug 31) unanimously passed the final reading of the 2.9 trillion baht budget bill for 2018 fiscal year.

 

The assembly took just four hours to pass the budget bill with only a handful of assemblymen taking to the floor to debate on the bill.

 

It was reported that none of the NLA members debated on the budgets of security-related ministries such as defence and interior.  

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nla-endorses-budget-bill-2018-fiscal-year/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-09-01

200 votes "for", and 0 votes "against".

 

But there were 3 abstentions, and so that proves that the National Legislative Assembly is *not* a "rubber-stamp" committee. 

Edited September 1, 20178 yr by andersonat

4 minutes ago, andersonat said:

200 votes "for", and 0 votes "against".

 

But there were 3 abstentions, and so that proves that the National Legislative Assembly is *not* a "rubber-stamp" committee. 

And read to such a packed chamber, too, not that any of them needed to show up anyway...

6 hours ago, webfact said:

It was reported that none of the NLA members debated on the budgets of security-related ministries such as Defence or the Interior.

Can't talk about Dept. of Defence including submarines, tanks, planes, guns and rockets and troop carriers. Or more to the point can't talk about where the money is coming from to pay for them.

Can't talk about the Dept. Interior because off possible embarrassment to do with disaster management, internal security, road safety and high speed trains.

Edited September 1, 20178 yr by Cadbury

Of the 200 initial NLA members, 97 were military officers, (69 on active duty), eight police (4 on active duty). The remaining 85 members were former senators, university rectors, and business people. Of the 200 members who were initially appointed, 12 resigned, 2 died, and 31 more were added.

The 2014 interim constitution was subsequently amended to enlarge the NLA to 250 members from 220 (effective 2 September 2016).

To fully populate the NLA, in October 2016, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha submitted a list of 33 new NLA appointees to the King for royal approval. 28 of the 33 are military or police general officers, most of them serving officers. As members they will not receive salaries. Instead, each one is paid a "position allowance" of 71,230 baht per month with an "extra allowance" of 42,330 baht a month. [State officials are not permitted to receive salaries from more than one source, but may accept unlimited position allowances and other compensation so long as the compensation is not called "salary".]

 

 - A significant percentage of the members had ( - and continue to have ?) full-time jobs before their appointments. 

The members are *certainly* "busy people".

 

No hope for this country if they cant get rid of this (new) group of criminals.

The largest budget allocation is for the Central budget at 448 B and can be used at the discretion of the government for emergency and necessities. The check and balance will be at its bare minimum in the hands of the junta government and an appointed NLA. We will need an elected Parliament to provide this scrutiny which looks unlikely in 2018. Happy hour whole year for the junta. 

No need to talk about the defence budget Its is open book. My god what sort of Parliament is this? You cant talk about how much you going to spend on defence I got an idea Dissolve Parliament Its a sham anyway and let the Pm rule on his own Oops then he would become  a dictator Thailand never has had a dictator yet