Bangkok: "Ice Cream" is aiming to cut three specific budgets, stressing the need to eliminate extravagance even in the absence of corruption. The focus is on reducing budgets related to increasing teachers' workloads, parliamentary expenses, and executive training courses, due to concerns over potential risks of a "patronage system."
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Parit Wacharasindhu, MP for the party list and spokesman for the Prachachon Party, emphasized the importance of this week's discussions as the special committee examines the draft of the 2026 budget bill. Each subcommittee is set to determine necessary adjustments, with the Prachachon Party advocating for budget cuts across various ministries and agencies. Mr. Parit himself is responsible for addressing budgets in three distinct areas.
The first target is the budget for projects that unnecessarily increase teachers' workloads. Highlighting the new minister's intention to reduce non-teaching-related tasks, Mr. Parit urged government MPs to collaborate with Prachachon Party MPs to lessen projects that impede teachers' primary responsibilities of educating students.
The second focus is the budget allocated for the parliament building. Mr. Parit voiced concerns over ongoing projects, such as meeting room renovations and a 4D movie project, and highlighted issues with budget transfers that lack transparency. He stressed the need to scrutinize all aspects of the budget, beyond what is documented, to ensure accountability.
The third area under scrutiny is the budget for executive training courses that could foster a patronage system. Courses like the Senior Justice Process Executives Course and the Senior Anti-Corruption Strategy Executives Course raise concerns about the potential impact on the independence of oversight organizations due to personal connections formed during these programs. Mr. Parit underscored the importance of reassessing the necessity of these courses to safeguard national interests.
Other committee members are also addressing potential budget overlaps and examining the extravagance of government building requests. Mr. Parit expressed the urgency of reaching a conclusion at the subcommittee level, with unresolved issues to be revisited in the main committee discussions.
'Our primary goal is to reduce any budget that poses a risk or lacks urgency. We must remember that the budget comes from our people's taxes, and even if it is not at risk of corruption, it should not be wasted on non-essential items. It is our duty to ensure the government's budget is directed towards directly benefiting our citizens,' Mr. Parit concluded.