Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is seen with his right hand in a sling, after chairing a weekly cabinet meeting at Government House on March 7, 2023. (Photo:bangkokpost.com) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’scabinet has approved a raft of proposals in what’s likely to be its lastmeeting before Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha dissolves parliament to paveway for a general election in May this year.
Ameeting chaired by Prayuth on March 13 endorsed the allocation of money forvarious ministries under the 3.35 trillion THB (97 billion USD) budget for fiscalyear 2024 starting Oct. 1, a 24 billion THB expressway project, and investments worth 62billion THB by state-owned National Telecom in mobile networks andlicensing.
The cabinet also approved salary increase worth 4.8 billion THB a yearfor municipal officials, a 716-million-THB income guarantee programme for cornfarmers and low-interest loans worth 1 billion THB. The ministers also signedoff on a proposal to extend income tax exemption or reduction on investment indepositary receipts tied to shares of companies listed outside Thailand.
Prime Minister’s Office Minister ThanakornWangboonkongchana told reporters before the cabinet meeting that the Prime MinisterPrayut may order the dissolution on March 20. Meanwhile, the Election Commission(EC) has set May 7, 2023, as the date for the next general election,assuming the House of Representatives completes its four-year term on March 23./.
