Phakamon Urges Public Watch on Aug 7 as NBTC Chairman Pushes 5.6B USO Budget
Phakamon calls for close monitoring of the August 7 NBTC meeting, warning that Dr. Sarana may rush to sign 5.6 billion baht in USO fund projects before leaving office.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Phakamon urges public vigilance ahead of the NBTC meeting on August 7.
- Concerns grow that Dr. Sarana is clinging to power to approve over 5.6 billion baht in USO projects.
- Losing the post could force him to refund salaries and allowances worth hundreds of millions.
- Current NBTC board members lack audit access over past expenditures under the chairman's authority.
A heated political and telecommunications controversy has emerged as Phakamon Nunkpakdee publicly urged citizens and stakeholders to closely monitor the upcoming National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) meeting scheduled for August 7. The core of the issue centers on Dr. Sarana Boonbaichaipruck and his persistent efforts to attend and chair the session, despite the nomination committee's ruling that he lacks the required qualifications.
Phakamon sharply criticized the move as lacking integrity, while calling on the Prime Minister to stop carrying the burden and expedite the royal endorsement process. The critical reasons driving Dr. Sarana's grip on the chairmanship have been outlined into several key points:
- If he vacates the chairman's seat, the remaining six NBTC board members are legally required to convene and elect a new chairman.
- Once the chairman position shifts, the acting secretary-general of the office must also step down.
- A vital highlight involves defending his qualification claim, as this is a royally endorsed position; yielding easily would imply submitting false information for royal endorsement. Furthermore, losing the post could require him to restitute salaries, travel expenses, welfare benefits, and advisory fees totaling hundreds of millions of baht.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Another major highlight is the rushed signing of winning bidders for Phase 3 of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) projects, encompassing five initiatives with a combined budget of approximately 5.6 billion baht. Under regulatory rules, E-bidding projects exceeding 200 million baht require the chairman's explicit approval before winners can be officially announced, compelling Dr. Sarana to push through approvals worth over 5 billion baht.
"If anyone does not know where this 5 billion baht that the doctor is going to approve comes from, to explain it simply and clearly, it comes from collecting fees from telecommunications license holders, namely mobile network operators and various internet service providers."
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The USO fund is established to ensure remote communities have access to basic telecom and internet services, serving as a shared public resource funded by industry licensing fees rather than direct state taxes. Approving massive budgets during a transitional leadership phase naturally raises transparency concerns and highlights the absolute necessity of post-audit mechanisms by governing boards.
Finally, the last critical factor for holding onto the seat is that a newly appointed chairman would immediately gain visibility into past budget disbursements made under Dr. Sarana's tenure. Currently, other NBTC board members are restricted from auditing expenditures executed solely under the chairman's authority. Phakamon concluded by suggesting that if the chairman genuinely wishes to work for the public, he should run for Member of Parliament instead.
Source: Matichon Politics
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