Four Ministries Withhold Budget Documents From Committee
Four ministries failed to submit budget documents to Parliament's oversight committee, hampering scrutiny of government spending that directly affects public services from education to disaster relief.
On July 11, 2569 at Parliament, Rakchanok Srinok, a list-system MP from the Pheu Chart party and chair of the House committee studying and monitoring budget administration, discussed the "Budget Hack 70" initiative. She explained why budget scrutiny matters: it affects citizens from childhood onward, determining welfare allowances, education quality, and responses to floods and droughts. Public administration depends on three elements: people, laws, and budgets.
Rakchanok stated that understanding budgets reveals whether politicians kept campaign promises. Budget proposals, typically valued at twice the final allocation, must be submitted before the official budget. She identified four ministries that failed to submit data: the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Ministry of Energy, and Ministry of Public Health. The Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries submitted minimal data, while the Labor Ministry and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment initially submitted then withdrew their proposals.
She cited an example from Hat Yai Municipality's budget requesting 8 million baht for jet skis, questioning government sincerity. Rakchanok emphasized that change requires collective action from all citizens, not just politicians. She highlighted recent victories where public pressure forced the government to reconsider policies on dependent care tax deductions and the TH-AI Passport program, demonstrating citizens' power to hold authorities accountable.
