BANGKOK, 9 February 2014 Former Finance Minister Theerachai Phuwanatnaranuban has expressed his objection to the ministry’s idea to sell bonds to three government units to finance the rice support program.
Mr Theerachai said there would be a problem of transparency in the bond sale. He also warned that the officials who were involved in the bond sale might be accused of helping the Minister of Finance use the nation’s resources to benefit the government in the general election. The government would therefore risk violating Section 181 (4) of the Constitution.
The three government units include the Government Savings Bank, the Social Security Office and the Government Pension Fund. Bonds might be sold to them so that the government has money to pay farmers participating in the program.
