Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
A provincial policy and cluster committee recently approved a large budget for provincial development projects.
Read the following story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about the projects.
A provincial policy and cluster committee has approved a budget worth 28 billion baht for provincial development projects.
BILLIONS OF BAHT
Chukiat Rattanachaichan, secretary-general of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, said the committee agreed to allocate the funds for local development projects nationwide.
On March 3, he was speaking at Government House following the committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Chukiat said the budget will be divided into two parts — 20 billion baht for projects in individual provinces and the rest reserved as additional funds for projects undertaken by a cluster of provinces.
The budget will be proposed to the cabinet for endorsement, and then forwarded to the local administrative offices in each province.
LONG-TERM PLANS
Chukiat said Prayut has stressed the budget must be spent in accordance with the committee's wishes and the government's strategies.
Porametee Vimolsiri, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board, said the premier insisted the projects must satisfy three criteria for the funds to be disbursed.
First, the projects must be labelled as One Tambon One Product (OTOP) items for export to neighbouring countries. Second, the production process of the OTOP products must be conducted systematically and overseen by local administrative officials. Lastly, each province has to submit a long-term development plan for the products between 2017 and 2021.
LAND FOR THE LANDLESS
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said yesterday part of the budget will finance natural water source development and boost local tourism in the provinces.
The budget allocation does not require a legal amendment, Anupong said. Only some regulations of the local organisations need changes.
Meanwhile, Raweewan Bhuridej, secretary-general of the National Land Policy Committee, said state land covering 325,205 rai in 47 provinces will be allocated to landless people for farming. The land earmarked for distribution, which is also non-transferable, includes Treasury Department land and plots belonging to the Agricultural Land Reform Office.
Exercises
Match each of the following words used in the story with the correct definitions from the choices that follow.
| …… 1. treasury |
a. a public statement or action showing that you support somebody or something |
| …… 2. landless | b. to watch somebody or something and make sure that a job or an activity is done correctly |
| …… 3. oversee | c. the government department that controls public money |
| …… 4. endorsement | d. not owning land for farming |
Vocabulary
- cluster (n): a group of people, animals or things close together
chair (v): to act as the chairman or chairwoman of a meeting or discussion
disburse (v): to pay money to somebody from a large amount that has been collected for a purpose
