24 Aug. 21-Prit Watcharasindu or ice cream, grandson of Abhisit Vejjajiva, former prime minister Facebook post that The budget of the monarchy must be transparent. in order for the institute to continue to stand alongside democracy.
In the past, the Prayut regime was making the monarchy There is a risk of being out of state. ‘Above politics’ and ‘under the Constitution’ as it should be. from being dragged by the Prayut regime or allowing it to flow into political conflict through claims and monopolization of loyalty to the Institute to himself alone and through the Prime Minister’s courage to offer advice to the King When there is any risky action that would be contrary to the democratic system of government with the King as Head of State
Expenditure budgeting is one of the most important government decisions each year. because it affects the quality of life of the people in a wide area And it shows that every baht of tax money we pay to the state Was it really used for the benefit of the people?
If we are to assess whether the budget is effectively allocated to each department, there may be two criteria that we need to take into account, or two “rulers” that we use to measure.
1. The budget for the agency is “too high” or “low” compared to the situation or problems the country is facing. which may be considered roughly from comparison with that agency’s budget in the past. Other agencies’ budgets in Thailand or the budget of the same agency in another country
2. Budget for every baht (Whether it’s more or less) how much is it worth? For the benefit of the people – to be able to assess this “Transparency” is an important factor. To open to the public to clearly see all the information that the agency that requests the budget will do with the money. meet any purpose It should open up detailed information. It’s not just a broad category.
Budget allocated effectively Both of these criteria must be met (for example, some agencies may have less budget than last year or less budget. But if you can’t see how it benefits the people or not suitable for the situation of the country That part of the budget should be cut.)
and if people have doubts It is the duty of the government as a tax user to clear that doubt.
monarchy must be assessed, examined, questioned and clarified with the same standards.
If we understand that “Democracy with the King as Head of State” is a subset of democracy. (Or an alternative under the umbrella of democracy). no matter who is the chief All political institutions must be treated with the same standards.
If we consider the budget of the monarchy or the budget of government agencies in the royal family For fiscal year 2022, from public information that the Progressive Party has analyzed and presented at the Council meeting, based on the above two criteria, it is found that this budget There are concerns
1. The amount of budget seems high. compared to different dimensions
(i) Compared to the past: since the issuance of the Royal Administrative Service Act B.E. 2560 during the NCPO era, which resulted in the integration of 5 agencies under one umbrella: “The royal government” found that the budget of the monarchy Increased clearly in the fiscal year 2017, this budget was at 5,674 million baht, but after the Act came into force. The budget for government agencies in the King increased to 8,761 million baht in 2022 (excluding budgets distributed among other agencies) or an average of 8% per year, which is higher than the inflation rate. And it shows that there was an intentional increase in expenditure in this respect.
(ii) Compared to other agencies in Thailand: Government agencies in the Kingdom receive more than 7 ministries (e.g. the Ministry of Digital Affairs). Ministry of Commerce Ministry of Tourism and Sports) by clarification from the question of why the budget was allocated so much That is, the number of personnel of government agencies in the King is more than 14,000 people, which is more than the number of personnel in many ministries (such as the Ministry of Transport Ministry of Labor In the past six years, the budget for the monarchy has increased by 54 percent (if only the budget of the royal government departments is counted), while the state budget has increased by 13 percent.
(iii) Compared to the same agency in other countries: among countries with democratic monarchy under the constitution (Constitutional Monarchy) Like Thailand, it was found that the Thai monarchy received a higher budget than other countries. (The monarchy of the United Kingdom received a budget of 3,565 million baht, the Netherlands received 1,867 million baht, Spain received 330 million baht, Sweden received 266 million baht). Normally, we may have to take into account that each country has a different population. together and compare the statements per capita But this may not be necessary in the budget of the monarchy. Because every country has one king. Or if compared to countries with similar populations to Thailand (such as the United Kingdom), it can be seen that the Thai monarchy receives approximately 2 times more budget than the United Kingdom.
2. It is difficult to assess whether the money is worth it or not. because there are few details
(i) Lack of adequate clarification: Whereas the ministry which has requested a smaller budget allocation Instead, there are more detailed budget documents (for example, the Ministry of Energy has 112 pages, the Ministry of Industry has 195 pages, or the Ministry of Commerce has 269 pages). There are only 7 pages of documentation. The budget for government agencies in the King does not have representatives of the agencies to explain the details to the House of Representatives. as other agencies do.
(ii) No information on budget overdrafts: The State Fiscal Discipline Act B.E. 2561 (2018) requires all agencies if budgets are not fully disbursed as requested. had to send that money back to the treasury But government agencies in the King are the agencies that disburse the budget in full 100%, and in some years they also overdraw, for example, in 2018, about 52% overdraft, in 2020, overdraft 28% without knowing the details because there is no clarification of reason and necessity
(iii) Failure to facilitate audits: Auditing of this portion of the budget appears to be more difficult than the others. such as the interpretation of the regulations of the Council of Ministers This led to the ban on slides containing official information related to the monarchy. (already open to the public) at the meeting of representatives
Seeing the initial numbers Every citizen has the right to ask questions in these two dimensions. What the government needs to do is come out and clarify the details.
The more the government let there be ambiguity without coming out to clarify. The more the government forced to hide some information. The more governments use different standards than other budgets to address these questions. The more people have the right to think in the worst way. and make faith and confidence in the government and related institutions or agencies will be more decayed
So instead of letting the ambiguity persist Is it better? If the government will allow all doubts to be resolved in the council in the eyes of the people who witnessed that are viewed all over the country
in the basics The government should act like any other budget, for example to show how appropriate the government budget is. Enter statistical details for a clear comparison. (Originally, this was a problem in clarifying other agencies as well, such as the military budget – that’s why there was a need. “Army Inspector” to check budget expenditure as well. Read more here https://bit.ly/3z9RjIJ)
for the budget of the monarchy The government needs to clarify more. because of the democratic government with the King as Head of State Two roles must be played simultaneously in this regard.
First, as the highest political responsibility The government is responsible for administering the affairs of the democratic monarchy. to prevent the institutions from having to manage these matters themselves and to be able to remain as the head of state with dignity
Second, as representatives of the people The government is responsible for organizing the budget. take care of administrative and prioritize projects in accordance with the socio-economic situation that people are facing and in the best interests of the people
But as we have always seen This government does not perform both of these functions. Instead, let this responsibility fall to the “royal burden” of the institute that manages its personnel, personnel or projects. and severely deficient in acting as representatives of the people by organizing a large subsidy without details and irresponsible to explain on behalf of the Institute how the budget is worth it in the time of the country’s crisis
on the other hand If such a budget It is a royal wish that the government is the one responding. It further reflects that it is this government that is degrading the institution’s reputation in the long run. because he did not dare to give advice and insist on managing these matters in an uncontroversial framework that has political interests through budgeting. the current form
This condition occurs in governments that regularly claim allegiance. but is not responsible for the important duty to maintain the honor of the Institute that he himself claimed to protect with his life This made every question and every public comment directed to the Institute. causing the status of the monarchy in a democratic system to shake and take the risk of maintaining dignity in the future
I have to call on the people who declare themselves to be “Loyalty” including the main media in Thailand Let’s ask the government and all political parties that agree with this budget. to explain the reason because of faith To happen there must be trust as a key element. But trust can never be established. If there is a lack of transparency and honesty
in order for the monarchy to exist as a respect and trust of the people Co-existence with democracy in a sustainable way The government has to put this in the light. not left in the gloom It has passed like many years ago.
To date, most people want a transparent democracy. Explanation of the rationale for this part of the budget Therefore, it is the best way to maintain the institution. to live in democracy Don’t let the irresponsibility of the Prayut regime make the people helpless in trying to keep these two things together.
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