Lawmaker Demands 120 Billion Baht Budget Cut Over Redundancy
A lawmaker demands parliament cut a proposed 120 billion baht budget allocation, arguing its energy and crisis-recovery objectives duplicate a 200 billion baht emergency borrowing decree already approved by the Constitutional Court.
On July 13, Watanya Bunnak of the special budget committee told media about her concerns raised at a July 3 meeting regarding central budget allocations with objectives duplicating a 200 billion baht emergency borrowing decree. The government justified both measures as part of energy infrastructure transition and economic crisis recovery related to energy price impacts. Under committee review, the 120 billion baht central budget allocation was found to have identical objectives—addressing energy-related economic damage and shifting from fossil fuels to green energy—as the borrowing decree approved by the Constitutional Court on July 9.
Watanya stated the committee should cut or reduce the 120 billion baht allocation because its objectives mirror the borrowing decree "word for word." She expressed concern that allowing such redundant budgets through parliament would let the executive branch redirect funds without strict parliamentary checks, functioning essentially as a blank check of 120 billion baht. She advocated instead for using those funds on more urgent and necessary projects.
Watanya also noted that while the 200 billion baht borrowing decree includes a committee chaired by the finance permanent secretary to screen projects and would require periodic parliamentary reporting, the central budget reserve—if approved—could be repurposed at executive discretion without intense parliamentary oversight. Budget officials explained the reserve would work differently, channeling funds to agencies with off-budget revenues that must contribute their own matching funds. However, Watanya argued this distinction made no practical difference and that the funds should simply go to the borrowing decree instead. She confirmed that multiple other budget items also showed overlapping or redundant objectives across government agencies.
