Bangkok: "Chaiyachanok" emphasizes that the government will not be wasting money on the TH-AI Passport, and "Ice Rakchanok" presents crucial evidence in front of him. Mr. Chaiyachanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE), confirmed his readiness to be scrutinized by the opposition regarding the "TH-AI Passport" project as soon as the registration system opens. He stated that the opposition can submit their scrutiny immediately without waiting for the project to begin, as he has instructed the Permanent Secretary and relevant agencies to verify the accuracy of all procedures according to government regulations. Therefore, he has no concerns. Regarding the opposition's observation that he is shifting responsibility to civil servants, Mr. Chaiyachanok denied this and emphasized that the Minister's role is limited to setting policy and monitoring project effectiveness; he cannot interfere in the procurement process. Therefore, responsibility must be divided appropriately.
According to Thai News Agency, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society clarified the 1.6 billion baht project budget, stating that the government is currently negotiating pricing terms to allow for payment based on actual usage. This means that if fewer than 5 million registrations are completed, or if some registrations are not used, the government will not need to pay the full budget. This approach maximizes benefits for both the government and the public and prevents disadvantages for the private sector. The Minister also suggested that the initial attacks might have been politically motivated, questioning the cost-effectiveness of the project. However, once the product's quality and compliance with regulations were proven, the opposition shifted their focus to attacking the Terms of Reference (TOR) and the private sector instead.
Ms. Rakchanok Srinok, a party-list MP from the People's Party, posted a clarification regarding the photograph of their confrontation in the parliamentary meeting room yesterday. She stated that she directly questioned Mr. Chaiyanok about his attendance at the Budget Monitoring Committee meeting. The minister refused to attend in person, saying he would send the Permanent Secretary instead. Ms. Rakchanok then immediately showed the minister evidence on his mobile phone, which contained crucial information confirming that the project had been underway since the end of last year, before the Terms of Reference (TOR) were drafted. She described this as unusual behavior and a clear indication of corruption.
The full text of Ms. Rakchanok's post details her questioning of the Minister: whether he would attend the committee meeting, his consideration of cancelling the project, and whether he had seen the latest evidence regarding the project's initiation. Despite Mr. Chaiyanok's denial of seeing the evidence, Ms. Rakchanok provided it, alleging it proved the project commenced before finalizing the TOR, which she described as indicative of corruption.