Worasit Liangprasert explained to the opposition that the government is accelerating the promotion of the hometown tax to increase local government revenue. He affirmed that the local civil service entrance exams are being thoroughly investigated with no leniency, regardless of who is involved.
On 1 Jul 2026 at 17:39 GMT+7, at the Parliament building, Worasit Liangprasert, Deputy Minister of the Interior, explained to the House of Representatives about the budget and revenue of local administrative organizations, acknowledging that local revenue currently has not reached the 35% target desired by many parties.
Currently, local revenue is about 29%, which, as the minister overseeing the Department of Local Administration, he finds concerning, as do members of parliament, because local governments have been assigned many transferred responsibilities—from roads, quality of life, welfare, education, to disaster response. These duties require substantial budget use for routine tasks, leaving less for development and investment budgets, even though the public expects local governments to be the closest agencies to solve problems quickly.
Worasit said the government is promoting the Hometown Tax Bill, now under review to ensure correctness and suitability. The key principle is to allow taxpayers to decide which local government receives their taxes. This law will boost local revenue and serve as a performance measure for local administrators. If a local government works well, transparently, and without corruption, citizens both inside and outside the area may choose to allocate more taxes there. Conversely, if performance is poor, revenue might flow elsewhere.
Additionally, the 2027 budget includes a matching fund of about 12 billion baht for energy projects that local governments can apply to receive support, with joint investment proportions between the state and local entities adjusted appropriately.
For localities with limited reserves, the government may support a larger share, while more prepared localities contribute more. The goal is to mobilize the hundreds of billions of baht in reserves held by local governments and various agencies into the economy.
Regarding the issue of local civil service entrance exams, which has drawn public attention, the government has not allowed the matter to be ignored or dismissed. Before the 2024 exams, complaints arose about bribery claims to help candidates pass. At that time, Anutin Charnvirakul, then Minister of Interior, convened a meeting and established a coalition to investigate, signing MOUs with five independent and law enforcement agencies such as the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Corruption Police Division, and exam organizers to closely monitor from the start.
"This is a serious matter involving many people. The investigation cannot be superficial; it must uncover the facts. The Prime Minister has clearly instructed that there will be no leniency regardless of who is involved. Names are to be concealed, focusing on behavior," Worasit said.
Worasit concluded that the Ministry of Interior’s fact-finding committee operates independently, free from politics and interference, to establish the truth for reporting to parliament and the public following this issue. He reaffirmed that if wrongdoing is found, full action will be taken with no leniency.