The Senate is set to discuss potentially reducing the number of its standing committees in alignment with the decreased number of senators, seeking to streamline operations and reduce costs. The topic is on the agenda for the Upper House’s upcoming meeting on Friday (Aug 2), as confirmed by Senate speaker Mongkol Surasatja.
The current Senate, now consisting of 200 members, down from 250, is considering adjusting the number of standing committees from 26 to 23. The change is proposed by Senator Sorachart Wichayasuwannaprom, who believes the review is necessary due to the reduced Senate size and changes in the senators’ roles in governance.
In light of these adjustments, certain committees may see a shift in their focus. For instance, with senators no longer participating in the selection of the Prime Minister post-election, some committees originally responsible for overseeing this process may instead tackle issues such as poverty or constitutional amendments.
Senator Angkana Leelapaijit, representing the civic society group, has voiced concerns that merely reducing the number of committees may not sufficiently cut costs. She advocates for other savings measures, such as curtailing funds allocated for study trips. She also proposed the creation of a new committee dedicated to addressing issues related to gender, disabilities, the elderly, and ethnic groups, emphasizing the need for inclusive representation.
