Bangkok: The Cabinet has expedited the disbursement of the 2016 budget, aiming to inject 4.37 trillion baht into the system. Mr. Lawaron Sangsanit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, revealed that the Cabinet approved measures to ensure the rapid inflow of funds into the economic system, aligning with set targets. The expedited disbursement budget includes 321 billion baht reserved for 2025, 3.78 trillion baht for the 2026 fiscal year, and 265 billion baht for state enterprise investment. The target disbursement is set at a minimum of 75 percent for investment funds, 98 percent for recurrent expenditures, and 93 percent for overall expenditures.

According to Thai News Agency, for funds reserved for disbursement in 2015, debt obligations have already been incurred. The disbursement must be completed by the second quarter. For projects in the procurement process, debt obligations must be expedited to be completed by the first quarter and disbursed promptly. Regarding the 2016 budget expenditures, allocated funds must be expedited to regional offices within five days of allocation approval. Procurement and contract management must be completed swiftly, reducing procurement time. Disbursement must be completed within five business days of proper inspection of property or work.

For measures to accelerate state enterprise investment budget disbursement, the State Enterprise Board of Directors is tasked with setting a target of no less than 95% for state enterprise investment budget disbursement as a performance indicator for executives. For single-year investment projects, debt obligations must be expedited and disbursed within the first quarter. For contracted projects, debt obligations must be expedited and completed within the first quarter. The relevant ministries and the State Enterprise Board of Directors will strictly monitor operations and disbursements to ensure targets are met. The budget disbursement acceleration measure is part of the policy: Short-term stimulus, long-term results, distributed (Quick Big Win), intended to push funds from the annual budget into the economic system continuously and rapidly.