Opposition Seeks Scrutiny of Major Government Borrowing
A proposal to form a special parliamentary committee to scrutinize proposed government spending under a 400-billion-baht borrowing decree is set to be debated in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Parit Wacharasindhu, deputy leader of the People’s Party and chair of the opposition whip committee, announced the move on Monday, emphasizing the necessity of oversight as government expenditure under the decree has reportedly already commenced.
Mr. Wacharasindhu stated, “Government spending has already begun, so spending must be monitored.” He drew parallels to previous instances where similar committees were established to examine emergency borrowing measures enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The opposition voiced hopes that the government would not leverage its majority to impede the formation of this committee, recalling a recent instance where a similar proposal to study the land bridge project was reportedly blocked.
“If there is nothing lacking in transparency, there should be no reason not to allow scrutiny,” Mr. Wacharasindhu added, underscoring the principle of accountability.
Urgent Oversight Highlighted Amidst Project Approvals
Sirikanya Tansakun, also a deputy leader of the People’s Party, lent her support to the initiative, stressing the urgent need for oversight given the government’s continued approval of projects slated for financing through the borrowing package. She pointed to the disbursement of funds through the Thais Help Thais Plus scheme and enhancements to state welfare cards, alongside the ongoing approval of projects by government screening committees with reportedly limited checks and balances.
Ms. Tansakun noted that lawmakers from coalition parties had previously backed comparable oversight committees. “There is no reason why a special committee should not be set up this time as well,” she asserted, advocating for consistent application of scrutiny mechanisms.
The proposed committee’s formation comes as the overall borrowing decree awaits a decision from the Constitutional Court.
