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May 2005 : NCCC Ruled Guilty
The 9 members of the National Counter Corruption Commission were ruled guilty by the Supreme Court political section inquiry panel. The House of Senate voted Wisut Montriwat former deputy secretariat of finance as the new auditor-general and approved the draft additional budget bill.
The cabinet endorsed privatization of Electric Generating Authority of Thailand [ EGAT] with 60 billion baht capita and pay rise of 8-15 percent to all personals. Mobile cabinet meeting in Burirum approved 2,303.912 million baht for development projects in the province.
NCCC ruled guilty
The Supreme Court political section inquiry panel voted 6 to 3 on May 26 that members of NCCC guilty of malfeasance of self-approve pay rise and get 2 years imprisonment term but the verdict was suspended for 2 years. The 9 commissioners submitted their resignation after the verdict.
A selection has to finish within 30 days after the seats vacant but article 297 of the Constitution states 15 selection panel members shall comprise of 7 state officers and 5 representatives from political parties.
Due to there are only 4 political parties elected to the parliament from the previous election there were options to 1] amend the Constitution on numbers of political party representatives or 2] amend the Constitution to remove political party representatives from all selection panels or 3] to send the case to the Constitutional Court for ruling.
Wisut voted new chief auditor
The Senate voted 107 to 31 to appoint Wisut Montriwat former deputy finance secretariat to become the auditor-general replace Khunying Jaruwan Maintaka who was ruled by the Constitutional Court that her accession to the position was unconstitutional. Wisuth’s name wil sent to the King for royal endorsement by the Senate speaker, Suchon Charliekreaw.
There were oppositions from some senators and Sanoh Thienthong, Thai Rak Thai cheif advosor and 60 MPs that Khunying Jaruwan is still positioning therefore Suchon should stop breaching the Constitution.
Midyear budget bill approved
The Senate on May 24 voted 92 to 10 to approved the draft additional budget bill of 2005 fiscal year of 50 billion baht while making 6 remarks on;
1. Possibility of public revenue increase from tax, 50 billion baht, while the economic is shrinking.
2. Unnecessary of budget on emergency fund is not real urgent and lack of appropriate details.
3. There should be systematic monitoring and evaluation on budget on provincial development plan in term of efficiency and should be integration of all planning, programs and projects in same area to avoid overlapping of expenditure.
4. Cautious on budget expenditure on village fund or SML due to similarity and overlap to responsibility of local authority. Cooperative measure should be undertaken and public should be encourage to be members of cooperatives.
5. Poverty could not be sustainable eradicated through public expenditure , the government should promote self-sustain and self-improvement.
6. There should be a systematic state audit on local authority due to mostly expenditure in solving draught were actually lost before reaching local people.
EGAT to be privatization
The cabinet on May 10 approved the plan proposed by the committee on state enterprise capital submitted on April 21 to privatize the Electric Generating Authority of Thailand [EGAT] and set up a public company with 60 billion baht capital, 6,000 shares of 10 baht value each, to be offered in the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The plan also increase salary payment of all personals from 8 to 15 percent, starting from April 1, 2005 effective after the company is registered in the stock market.
The survey on EGAT’s staffs came out that 90 percent support privatization plan though the workers union is still protesting.
Huge budget on anti-draught plan
The cabinet meeting in Burirum province on May 17 approved a 2,310.912 million baht budget allocation between 2002 to 2008 to solve draught problems in Burirum in 2 major area;
1. A 1,688.15 million baht programs to provide water resources for agricultural and domestic use.
2. A 615.762 million baht programs to develop tourism industry in Burirum.
Moreover a long-tern and urgent plans to solve draught problems by providing tab water system to 14,580 villages facing water shortage by 2008, a plan to build ponds and dig artesian wells to boost the production of sugar cane outside irrigation zones and loans to farmers seriously effected by draught were also approved.
The plans will be considered in details by the budget bureau before resubmit to the cabinet for final approval.
From : http://www.fpps.or.th
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