Bangkok: Attention is focused on the first cabinet meeting of 'Anutin 2', which will approve the 2027 budget, a 1.6 trillion baht subsidy for transportation, and a 100 baht top-up for welfare cards. Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul chaired the first Cabinet meeting following his policy statement to Parliament. Key agenda items included budget, economic matters, and legislative progress.
According to Thai News Agency, the Budget Bureau prepared to present the budget calendar for fiscal year 2027, as well as guidelines for issuing budget transfer acts, to establish a framework for government budget management in the coming period. Regarding economic measures, the Ministry of Transport proposed requesting central government funds totaling approximately 1.6 trillion baht to support transportation businesses, mitigating cost impacts and stabilizing the country's logistics sector.
The Ministry of Commerce is preparing to propose price control measures through the 'Thai Helps Thai' project to reduce the burden of living costs for the public. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance is proposing a measure to add an extra 100 baht per person to the state welfare card for one month, using a total budget of 1.3 billion baht, to assist vulnerable groups during the economic slowdown.
For the agenda items under consideration, the Cabinet Secretariat proposed a request to Parliament to consider draft legislation that has not yet been approved, in accordance with Section 147 of the Constitution, with a deadline of May 12, 2026. Simultaneously, it proposed guidelines related to several legislative processes, such as the acceptance of draft legislation by MPs and eligible voters before the principle acceptance, guidelines for handling subordinate legislation under review by the Council of State, and the delegation of authority to the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister to approve or issue orders on behalf of the Cabinet in urgent cases concerning royal decrees with limited timeframes.
Furthermore, guidelines for implementing recommendations from independent organizations, as well as motions, reports, and observations from committees of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, were proposed to enhance the efficiency of collaboration between the executive and legislative branches. Regarding the agenda item for information, the Secretariat of the Cabinet proposed a coordination system between the Cabinet and Parliament to improve the efficiency of monitoring and promoting government legislation and policies.