Natthapong Pressures Govt on 3 Budget Reform Demands

Natthapong Ruangpanyawut raised serious concerns during a parliamentary debate, revealing statistical figures showing that between 90% and 95% of the projects listed in the draft budget bill are simply rolled over from previous years. He argued that it is nearly impossible to identify which projects were intentionally formulated by the government to fulfill its core policy promises, questioning how the Bureau of the Budget can genuinely support the administration's agenda.

Furthermore, transparency indicators were highlighted as a major issue, extending beyond standard budget allocations to include off-budget funds such as the TH-AI Passport project under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which faces allegations of rigged terms of reference (TOR). Failing these transparency benchmarks raises critical questions about whether uniform evaluation criteria are truly being applied across all state agencies.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

During his address, Natthapong laid out three concrete proposals for government representatives in exchange for approving the budget in full transparency and efficiency. The first proposal calls for pushing the Public Information Act—already submitted to the House of Representatives by the People's Party—into law, establishing mandatory disclosures for price inquiries and drafting committees to curb corruption.