Discussions in parliament on funding for Thai PBS and three organisations

The House Political Development, Media and Public Participation Committee held discussions in parliament today on legal amendments to the source of funding for Thai PBS and three other organisations.

Representatives from the House Secretariat, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the Council of State, the People’s Party and the Thai Media Fund were invited to attend the discussions chaired by People’s Party MP Pakamon Noon-anan.

Suphachai Jaisamut, of the Bhumjaithai Party, who initiated the change of funding from earmarked liquor and tobacco tax revenue to government budget, was not present at the discussions.

Representatives of the House Secretariat disclosed the findings of the public hearings pertaining to legal amendments to change the sources of funding for Thai PBS, the sports development fund, ThaiHealth and the elderly people’s fund.

Opinions are divided into two large groups, according to the House Secretariat. One group supports the change, to promote fiscal discipline, to enable the government to manage its annual budget with greater flexibility and to allow the House to ensure that the spending by the four organisations is value for money.

The other group is concerned over potential political interference, which could affect the performance and independence of public service media.

A legal expert from the Fiscal Policy Office, Korn Sinarak na Champasak, said that, if Thai PBS receives funding from government budget, the government will be able to regulate and examine the organisation’s spending transparently and in line with “its” missions.

Anusorn Kaewwichain of the People’s Party asked whether the Thai PBS law goes against fiscal discipline as specified in the law and, if not ,why is Thai PBS being targeted, when there are still several agencies reliant on funding outside government budget.

Another People’s Party MP, Ekkarat Udom-amnuay, proposed that Thai PBS’s funding should be merged with the funding of the Thai Media Fund.