Objection may delay Social Security Board appointments - Bangkok Post

The Social Security Board election was held on Oct 11. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb) The Social Security Office (SSO) has received a formal objection regarding the election of representatives to the Social Security Board (SSB), potentially delaying the appointment of 14 new board members.

The objection was filed following the announcement on Nov 5 of the seven candidates who received the most votes in each of the employer and insured person categories in the election on Oct 11.

The election committee opened a seven-day period for candidates and eligible voters to submit any written objections. The deadline expired on Nov 12.

The committee will now consider the objection within 30 days. If it dismisses the objection, the SSO will forward the names of the 14 elected representatives to the labour minister for appointment to the board.

However, if the committee rules that any of the candidates’ names should be removed, the election results will be revised, with candidates on the reserve list promoted to replace those disqualified. The SSO will then submit the revised list to the minister.

The Progressive Social Security team, affiliated with the opposition People’s Party, won all 14 seats — 7 representing insured persons and 7 representing employers — in the election. The remaining seven seats on the 21-member board are filled by government representatives.

The board sets the direction for the operation of the Social Security Fund, which is valued at 2.8 trillion baht and has more than 24 million insured members nationwide.

The People’s Party has made Social Security reform a major policy plank, pushing for better benefits as well as exposing financial irregularities and questionable spending by the Social Security Office.

Rukchanok Srinork, a People’s Party MP and outspoken critic of the Social Security Office, said she feared an attempt to undermine the elected board.

“The election results haven’t been announced yet, yet the Cabinet’s draft of the Social Security Act is already out. Under this law, it mandates a board that isn't elected, but rather appointed by the Minister of Labour and this board has the power to control the elected board. They really are pulling every trick in the book,” she commented on her Facebook page. 

While the SSO insisted that all procedures were being conducted in accordance with legal requirements and prescribed timelines, stressing that the objection process was an essential safeguard to ensure transparency and public confidence, rather than an attempt to delay the appointments.

The office said it would continue taking the necessary steps to ensure the appointments proceed as soon as all legally required reviews have been completed.