House Committee Probes Significant Financial Discrepancies at Social Security Office
A parliamentary committee is closely examining substantial financial issues within the Social Security Office (SSO), including a reported 3.6 billion baht in missing assets. The House committee on budget planning and monitoring has indicated it will pursue a thorough investigation into these discrepancies, which also involve a broader budget variance of 3.98 billion baht, encompassing 382 million baht in unaccounted figures.
Web Application Project Under Review
Further scrutiny is being directed towards the SSO Core and SSO Plus web application project, which has a budget allocation of 850 million baht. The committee is demanding comprehensive updates on the project’s progress, its present status, and the justification for penalties levied against contractors, as well as subsequent reductions in those penalties for project delays.
The chairwoman of the committee, Ms. Rukchanok, emphasized that the committee’s focus is not on targeting the Social Security Office specifically, stating there is no personal conflict with the agency. She expressed optimism that cooperation between the committee and the SSO would improve following the recent appointment of a new SSO secretary-general.
Concerns Raised Over Social Security Board Election Funding and Participation
A significant point of discussion is the upcoming Social Security board (SSB) election. Approximately 300 million baht has been earmarked for this election, with an additional 300-400 million baht reportedly designated for public relations efforts. Ms. Rukchanok questioned the adequacy of the SSO’s promotional activities to encourage voter turnout, noting that private sector and civil society organizations appear to be more actively engaged than the agency itself.
Insured members have reported difficulties in inputting their personal information into the system for vote registration. The committee is advocating for measures to simplify the participation process for both employees and employers. Ms. Rukchanok highlighted that turnout among employer representatives was notably low in the previous election, where eligible candidates received minimal votes despite over 500,000 employers being eligible. She urged for increased voter participation, suggesting the SSO should aim for a turnout of at least 5%-10%.
“Calendar Project” Spending Under Fire
Referring to the SSO’s “calendar project,” Ms. Rukchanok raised concerns about potentially excessive spending. She stated that the upcoming election is crucial to prevent similar projects with questionable expenditure from recurring. “If there is a budget that appears to be rigged or if a certain group of people benefits, I believe it is our duty to investigate thoroughly,” she asserted, underscoring the committee’s commitment to diligent oversight.
