“Natcha” asks to cut the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, slamming the “Black-chinned Tilapia” crisis, the biggest of its kind, still asking for a budget to build an aquatic animal exhibition center – dredging the Phayao lake in the middle of the house, “Thammanat” slammed it for being insincere in solving the problem.
The House of Representatives meeting, chaired by Second Vice President Pichet Chueamuangphan, considered the second reading of the 2025 Fiscal Year Budget Act on the second day. During the consideration of Article 14, which is the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Natcha Boonchaiinsawat, Bangkok MP of the Prachachon Party, stood up to debate and request a 5% budget cut due to the current situation of the black-chinned tilapia, which is a threat from invasive aquatic animals that has destroyed natural water sources in 19 provinces and 76 districts, affecting more than 50,000 farmers. It is something that can be seen clearly and clearly that the year 2024 will ha
ve an impact.
Mr. Natcha said that in 2025, the budget requested to increase the productivity of community water sources to increase income and reduce the cost of living for the people, totaling 307 million baht, was reduced by 51 million baht. He believes that if the Fisheries Department had done its best to protect water sources and aquatic animals under its care, it would not have required such a high budget. Worse still, the budget to be used to solve the biggest crisis, which Colonel Thammanat Prompao, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has already raised to a national agenda.
‘But what about the national agenda? There is none in the 2025 budget. Therefore, I think that the Fisheries Department has not done well enough to solve the current situation. On top of that, they have approved a budget of 208 million baht to build an aquarium in the minister’s province, which is a budget commitment until 2027. This year, they have requested a budget of 41 million baht. I think it is not appropriate at al
l. Today, the crisis is the most severe and extreme. We should focus on budget, personnel, time, and other resources, which are the issues of invasive alien fish. However, there is nothing sincere or serious in this year’s budget, except for the construction of an aquarium in the minister’s house and the dredging of Kwan Phayao in the minister’s house. I think that today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, especially the Fisheries Department, is not sincere in solving problems for our people. Therefore, I would like to propose a budget cut for the Fisheries Department,’ said Mr. Natcha.
Source: Thai News Agency