Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn responded to criticism from the People’s Party (PP) regarding the Social Security Office’s (SSO) spending, calling the accusations malicious and based on trivial details, without providing the full picture.
Mr. Phiphat explained that the Social Security Fund (SSF) budget is managed by the Social Security Board, whose members are elected rather than appointed. He challenged Rakchanok Srinok, a PP MP for Bangkok, to ask herself whether she had shared all the facts with the public.
The criticism came after Ms. Rakchanok posted on Facebook, raising concerns over SSO’s spending on expenses such as overseas trips, training, and public relations materials. The SSO, which manages the SSF, is under the Ministry of Labour.
Mr. Phiphat suggested that Ms. Rakchanok should have brought her concerns to him directly, through an interpellation or during a censure debate, to provide the public with accurate and complete information. He pointed out that the Social Security Board consists of 21 members, including representatives from employees, employers, and government agencies, with seven members from the Progressive Social Security group, which is affiliated with the PP.
The minister also clarified that the SSF management budget currently accounts for only 3% of the SSO’s total budget, although up to 10% is allowed. In response to claims of excessive spending on overseas trips and training, Mr. Phiphat emphasized that the SSO follows strict regulations on travel class for its officers.
Regarding the accusation that more than 400 million baht was spent on printing calendars for distribution, Mr. Phiphat explained that the amount covered an eight-year period, and he defended the expenditure as reasonable, with 50 million baht spent annually on calendars for 12 million people as part of SSF’s public relations efforts.
Lastly, Mr. Phiphat apologized to the 25 million SSF members for difficulties with the hotline, citing limited phone lines.
