Thai people who are eligible to receive the 10,000 baht state benefit under the “digital wallet” scheme can register for the scheme from August 1, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
In his Facebook post today, the prime minister wrote that the Digital Wallet Scheme Policy Committee is preparing for registration by those to receive the money and stores wanting to join the scheme, designating agencies to implement the scheme and is developing measures to address any irregularities.
Since the digital wallet scheme is a state project involving a lot of money, people and entrepreneurs, the prime minister said that it is essential that the government ensures that everything is done to the letter of the law and to ensure the safety for the benefit recipients.
Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Julapun Amornvivat confirmed again today that the number of people eligible to receive the benefit remains 50 million, but the fund for the digital wallet scheme has been trimmed, from 500 billion to 450 billion baht.
He pointed out that, in the past, a maximum of about 90% of those eligible to receive financial support from the state, under numerous populist programs, actually registered.
Since the government has cancelled its plan to borrow 172.3 billion baht from the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) to fund the scheme, Julapun said the government has decided to seek a supplementary budget of 122 billion baht from the Central Fund, and an additional 43 billion baht from non-committed money in the 2024 fiscal budget, to cover the shortfall created by the cancellation of bank borrowing.
Julapun also said that the Commerce Ministry had been designated to define the list of products to be included in the digital wallet scheme, as well as the “negative list” of items and services which cannot be purchased using the benefit money.
He hinted that the new products to be added to the scheme may include firearms.
File photo : PM Srettha Thavisin//Reuters
