The Comptroller-General's Department plans to accelerate state spending in fiscal 2022 to meet spending targets because it is a key tool to drive economic growth, says director-general Kulaya Tantitemit.
The department expects to present the state budget disbursement plan for fiscal 2022 for cabinet approval soon.
According to the plan, the disbursement of the state investment budget will have to reach at least 75% of the total investment budget of 624 billion baht within the fiscal year, said Ms Kulaya.
The disbursement of the expenditure, which includes state officials' salaries, will have to reach at least 98% of the total expenditure of 2.36 trillion baht.
In fiscal 2021, disbursement of the investment budget reached 70.9% of the total investment budget.
The department set a total state budget for fiscal 2022 of 3.1 trillion baht, of which 2.36 trillion is for expenditure and 624 billion is the investment budget. The remainder is to pay loan principal and the treasury balance.
The plan also requires the disbursement of the overall budget of 3.1 trillion baht to reach at least 30% within the first quarter of fiscal 2022. The first quarter of fiscal 2022 is October to December 2021.
As of November, total disbursement of the 2022 budget stood at 722 billion baht, accounting for 23.3% of the overall budget of 3.1 trillion baht.
Of the total disbursement, 648 billion baht is expenditure, accounting for 26% of the total expenditure. Disbursement of the investment budget is 73.8 billion baht, or 12.2% of the total investment budget.
She said the high investment disbursement target in fiscal 2022 is a challenge because of uncertainties caused by the prolonged pandemic, which could affect state spending.
Ms Kulaya said the department would revise the state procurement law covering bidders' filing of appeals related to state procurement projects.
The department will propose that bidders who lodge appeals after losing bids will have to place a money guarantee when making the appeal, she said. This should prevent appeals filed for frivolous reasons. If the bidders lose the appeal, the guarantee will be forfeited, said Ms Kulaya.
Currently failed bidders can file such appeals, resulting in the temporary suspension of projects and a delay in project investment. Roughly 2,000 appeals are filed every year. An appeals committee takes at least three months to rule on cases.