Budget bill for 2013 fiscal sails through Thai House

BANGKOK, August 18 (TNA) - The Thai government's budget bill for the 2013 fiscal 2013, starting October 1, 2012, has sailed through the House of Representatives. The 2.44-trillion-baht state budget bill, with a deficit of some 300 billion baht, was approved in the second and third readings by members of the House of Representatives at about 1:40am Saturday with the majority vote of 279:8 and 127 abstentions, after a nearly 26-hour debate starting from August 15. Thanking the majority of the MPs in approving the bill, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong said that the government will take notes of MPs in spending the 2013 fiscal budget for public and national interests. (TNA)