The main opposition People's Party (PP) has raised concerns over the Social Security Office's (SSO) budget spending, citing excessive expenses on overseas visits, training and public relations.
Ratchanok Srinok, a Bangkok MP and member of the House committee monitoring budget planning and spending, outlined six key issues in a Facebook post following a "Hack the SSO Budget" forum on Saturday.
She said the SSO's spending has risen significantly over the past four years, from 4 billion baht in 2020 to 6.61 billion baht in 2023. Its strategic budget also doubled, from 965 million baht in 2020 to two billion baht in 2024.
Among the chief concerns was the operation of the SSO's 1506 Hotline, which is currently allocated 100 million baht. Half of this year's budget, however, was spent on rental fees, despite frequent complaints about busy lines from Social Security Fund (SSF) subscribers.
Ms Ratchanok questioned whether the 550 million baht spent in 2023 on app development, asking whether the change from a computer-based system to a web-based platform was necessary.
The "SSO+" mobile application reportedly cost 276 million baht following rumours of irregularities in the procurement process, she said.
According to the MP, the app received a user rating of just 1.5 stars, with subscribers unable to use it to make payments.
Ms Ratchanok also suggested the SSO's training budget had been wasted on programmes such as foreign language development, which were redundant and lacked proper assessment.
According to Ms Ratchanok, the office's public relations strategy had also failed to reach younger people, with detailed information presented in an unattractive manner.
She noted that the most popular online social security-related content was produced by independent creators, not the SSO itself, which set aside 336 million for public relations in the 2024 fiscal year.
Labour permanent secretary Boonsong Thapchaiyuth, who chairs the SSO board, said yesterday the office was planning to clarify the issues raised by the MP.
However, he assured that the expenses in question did not affect the benefits of SSF subscribers, as they were managed separately from the SSF.
SSO secretary-general Marasri Jairangsri said that subscribers have alternative payment options, with 96% of transactions being processed through e-banking systems.
Criticism of SSO spending began after the Progressive Social Security group, affiliated with the PP, won all seven seats representing the employee sector in the SSO board member election in December 2023. The board consists of 21 members, including representatives from employees, employers, and government agencies.
