BMC gives B23.4bn nod for Green Line

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Money to be spent on second extension

PUBLISHED : 8 Feb 2024 at 04:00

The Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC) has approved up to 23.4 billion baht for payment to the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) for electrical and mechanical (E&M) installation work and operation services for the Green Line’s second extension.

The BMC held its sixth general meeting to hear the result of a review of the additional expenditure from the annual budget yesterday. Those present included Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, executive officials and other high-ranking state officials. The motion to approve the spending received 43 votes, with one abstention.

Napapon Chirakul, Bangkok councillor for Bangkok Noi district and chairman of the committee reviewing the draft budget ordinance, said the proposed additional expenditure is fixed at 23.4 billion baht.

The special expenditure budget was set aside for the BMA to receive the second Green Extension Line assets and settle the costs of the E&M and the Green Line’s operation services.

BMA and its business arm, Krungthep Thanakhom (KT), owe the BTSC 30 billion baht for hiring the BTSC to provide operation and maintenance services. In December last year, the BMA began charging passengers for the Green Line’s second extension routes, a move believed to be part of a bid to address the debt.

The Napapon panel yesterday urged the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to tell people why a budget was needed for the E&M system. The panel also said the BMA should speed up spending for the E&M so it can turn its attention to other projects.

Mr Chadchart said the BMA’s Traffic and Transportation Department will meet KT Corporation (KT) and BTSC today to flesh out details of the spending. The draft ordinance will also be published in the Royal Gazette, while the BMA must also inform the Interior Ministry of any progress made in the payment.

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Joint energy talks likely: PM

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Leaders push for cooperation in Gulf

Joint energy talks likely: PM
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, right, is greeted by honour guards at Government House on Wednesday. He was on a one-day visit where he held talks with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on the joint exploration of resources within the two countries’ contested border area. Chanat Katanyu

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to hold further discussions on the joint exploitation of the hydrocarbon resources in the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand claimed by both countries.

Strengthening cooperation to ensure energy security for both nations was among the topics brought up during the meeting between Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet who made an official visit to Thailand on Wednesday.

The OCA, which covers a 26,000-square-kilometre area claimed by both countries, is believed to be an area rich in fossil-fuel sources.

Several rounds of talks on the joint development of energy resources have been held previously, but no progress was made due to the dispute over the maritime territory in the OCA.

At a media briefing after the talks with the Cambodian leader, Mr Srettha said both sides have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy security and hold talks on the joint exploitation of the hydrocarbon resources in the OCA.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh also attach importance to the delimitation of maritime boundaries and have agreed to discuss the issue simultaneously with the exploitation of energy resources, he said.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to consult with authorities, including the Ministry of Energy and the Royal Thai Navy, on the issue for further discussion with the Cambodian side,” he added.

Mr Srettha told the House of Representatives during the budget bill debate in early January that Thailand was negotiating with Cambodia about the OCA and the issue would be included on the agenda when he met with Hun Manet.

“We’re sitting on treasures worth trillions, so I expect we can hold talks and reach an agreement,” he told the House on Jan 3.

Mr Srettha said the meeting was comprehensive, and both nations share a commitment to foster closer cooperation based on mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual assistance.

Apart from the joint development of fossil fuel resources, bilateral trade, border development, tourism and haze pollution were also discussed, with intentions to bolster cooperation.

To inject new energy into bilateral trade, Thailand will host the 7th Joint Trade Committee at the commerce minister level as early as May, to come up with a plan to boost the volume of bilateral trade, which is set at US$15 billion (534 billion baht) by 2025, he said.

He expressed hopes the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Goods in Transit signed on Wednesday will help increase the volume of trade, especially border trade.

Both countries will also boost cooperation on tourism by making it easier for tourists to travel across borders and visit points of interest in Thailand and Cambodia, as well as in other neighbouring countries in one trip.

“I am pleased that 1.8 million Thais visited Cambodia last year, making Thais the largest number of visitors to Cambodia. In the meantime, Thailand is one of the top destinations for Cambodians,” he said.

“We will join hands in the ‘Six-Countries, One-Destination’ campaign to promote regional tourism. If Europe can do it, why can’t we?”

Apart from that, both will enhance the Agreement on Border Crossing to allow for the use of temporary border passes, longer stays, and access to non-border provinces, and resume negotiations on the Bilateral Agreement on Cross-Border Transport by Road to enable border crossings by private cars.

On the problem of transboundary haze pollution, both sides will increase cooperation to ensure clean air for their people. Cambodia has been invited to join the CLEAR Sky strategy with Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar to work together on this issue, Mr Srettha said.

A Joint Working Group will be set up to map out cooperation, including establishing a hotline for the sharing of information and alerts on burning locations, emergency responses, and capacity-building as well as the sharing of best practices, according to the premier.

He said both sides have agreed to expedite the development of border areas and make the Thai-Cambodian border free from landmines.

The two countries will also move quickly on humanitarian de-mining in pilot areas.

Fair treatment and a proper economic safety net for Cambodian workers, strengthened security cooperation to maintain peace and stability, deepened cooperation to fight transnational crimes and elevating Thai-Cambodia relations to “strategic partnership” were also covered.

As next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Cambodia, he said there will be a series of activities to deepen friendship and understanding between the people of both countries, especially among the youth.

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SMIC to sell Huawei costly, inefficient 5nm chips – Asia Times

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Despite low yields and high production costs, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp ( SMIC ), the largest chip manufacturer in China, is expected to mass produce 5 nanometer chips for Huawei Technologies later this year.

Despite the US device export restrictions, Beijing wants to demonstrate to the earth that Chinese businesses are capable of achieving scientific breakthroughs, according to observers. Huawei and SMIC are determined to move forward with this expensive venture. They claimed that it is more likely a social job than one that can be done economically.

Although it is technically possible to create 5nm chips using immersion deep-UV ( DUV) lithography, the price may be significantly higher than usual, according to chip engineers. They claimed that SMIC might be able to produce chips with yields of 50 % and 30 % to 40 %, respectively.

According to a report by The Financial Times on Tuesday, SMIC will mass-produce 5nm Kirin systems-on-chips ( SoCs ) using its existing stock of US and Dutch-made equipment. According to the statement, SMIC is charging a 40–50 % superior for its 5nm and 7mm products compared to TSMC’s price for comparable technology networks.

According to some experts cited by the FT, the supply of SMIC’s 7 nm bits is less than one-third that of comparable products from TSMC. &nbsp,

According to Burn Lin, a former vice president of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and present dean of the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan’s Hsinchu, Huawei and SMIC is use already-existing DUV technology to produce 5nm, but the price will be higher. &nbsp,

According to him, four-time structuring technique, which includes various exposure and etching processes, is necessary for the production of 5nm cards with a DUV printing. If exposure are not done correctly, the numerous patterning is time-consuming and may produce a low yield, he said.

Instead of attempting to impede China’s advancement, in his opinion, the US may concentrate on maintaining its leadership in chip design. He emphasized that Beijing had implemented a “whole state” approach to bolster its chip industry.

Local engineers and technicians should assist the nation in achieving excellent self-reliance and strength in science and technology by making advances in primary technology in important areas and creating high-quality projects, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated at the National Engineer Awards ceremony on January 19.

Local engineers and technicians should assist the nation in achieving excellent self-reliance and strength in science and technology by making advances in primary technology in important areas and creating high-quality projects, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated at the National Engineer Awards ceremony on January 19. Xinhua image

7 nm bits

Unexpectedly, Huawei unveiled the Kirin 9000s processor in the Mate60 Pro model past August. Afterwards, engineering experts discovered that the SMIC used DUV lithography to create the 7nm device using the N 2 process. &nbsp,

Huawei unveiled the Qingyun L540 notebook, which uses a Kirin device called 9006C, in December 2023. Previously, observers had guessed that Huawei had made new technological advancements.

The 9006C cards came from the products delivered before TSMC was prohibited by the US from producing chips for Huawei in the middle of September 2020, according to TechInsights, a American tech solution service.

SMIC is preparing its 5nm method through DUV, according to an unknown industry source who spoke with South Korean news site The Elec in December. According to him, the photomask utilization is anticipated to rise and the DUV source don’t keep up with demand in China. &nbsp,

A photomask in a printing device is an thick plate with visible areas that let light pass through to create exposure. &nbsp,

The estimated yield of SMIC’s 5nm method using the latest DUV hardware will be between 30 and 40 %, according to a tech writer at the Vancouver-based news website Wccftech.com.

The supply of SMIC’s 7nm or smaller chips has never been disclosed. According to Reuters, the supply rate for SMIC’s 7nm process is below 50 %, according to some experts.

Early in 2017, TSMC started to create 7nm memory cards using the N7FF process and intense- ultraviolet ( EUV) lithography. The Japanese chip manufacturer previously produced 7nm with a supply of 76 % using DUV printing.

According to media reports, TSMC has already increased the yield of its 7nm and 5mm chips to 93.5 % and 80 %, respectively, in 2019. TSMC is currently producing 3nm cards with a 55 % supply, in contrast to Samsung’s 60–70 %.

NXT:2000i

According to some experts, SMIC created the Kirin 9000S using ASML’s NXT: 2000i. &nbsp,

Caijing.com reported next November that there were fewer than five ASML networks in China that were as sophisticated as NXT: 2000i, according to an unnamed expert in the chip-making sector.

For all shipments of ASML’s most cutting-edge soaking Detector printing systems, the NXT: 2000i, and later absorption systems—which are the most advanced—it announced last June that it would need to use for trade licenses from the French government.

It announced on January 1st of this year that the French government had partly revoked its authorization for the delivery of NXT: 2050i lithography systems to China starting at the start of the year. &nbsp,

However, it was not specified if its import authorization for the shipment of NXT: 2000i had also been revoked. &nbsp,

In fact, SMIC can also use the NXT:1980Di, an older generation of immersion DUV lithography, to make 5nm or 7 nm bits but the yield will be even lower.

Read: China’s injury is becoming more apparent in the high-end Detector ban.

@jeffpao3 Following Jeff Pao on Twitterat&nbsp.

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Parliament votes for amended motion on national reserves, rejects PSP motion to review fiscal policies

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According to Ms. Indranee, the net investment returns contribution ( NIRC ) has remained stable at about 3.5 percent of gross domestic product ( GDP ) and has kept up with Singapore’s economy. &nbsp,

She pointed out that WP had recently opposed raising the goods and services tax and that, given Singapore’s recent investing patterns, the most recent increases are required. &nbsp,

” We must increase our spending in a number of important sections, and we will quickly require the funds.” nbsp

In his speech, Mr. Lee referred to the Constitution’s provisions on spending as” fair and just,” stating that 50 % of the money must be spent for the present and 50 % on the future. &nbsp,

He continued,” Keeping the resources in proportion to the GDP also happens to be the appropriate, sustainable proportion.” &nbsp,

Each era must devote within its means, but because of this, Singapore’s income may need to be updated from time to time, according to the Prime Minister. &nbsp,

LAND SALES ACTIONS

According to Ms. Indranee, Pritam Singh, the leader of the opposition and WP, was wrong to predict that the reserves would grow progressively because money from land sales goes toward them.

She explained the drawbacks of using property sales as revenue, saying that “land sales do not entail revenue… enough to say selling land does not create new wealth.”

Being dependent on home cycles and having a reason to maintain high property prices are two of these.

According to Mr. Singh, since the property has contracts, it can be sold again. But, Ms. Indranee claimed that for the duration of the lease, no one could use the property.

However, PSP advised Singapore to treat the proceeds from property sales as earnings divided over the course of the rent, she noted. &nbsp,

According to Ms. Indranee, this is” never so different” from the government’s current strategy, but the difference is that it is invested and half of the profits generated are spent rather than spending that money of territory sales money directly. &nbsp,

Simply put, you have S$ 1 under PSP’s plan. The S$ 1 goes back under PAP’s strategy, and you receive more than a dollar .&nbsp,

She continued,” The plan to address territory in Singapore’s resources” as if it has no price” does not respect the sacrifice of those who gave up their land as a result of the Land Acquisition Act. &nbsp,

Because their land, which did go into the reserves, means something to them and to us when we built on it, and you should n’t treat it as though it is worthless, &nbsp,

Mr. Liang Eng Hwa ( PAP- Bali Panjang ) proposed an amendment to the movement, which was debated alongside the PSP’s motion. He was speaking about the ways in which Singapore benefits from its sizable resources to fend off speculative attacks on the Singapore dollar.

In order to assist current Singaporeans in reducing their financial obligations and improving their quality of life while planning and providing for future generations, the amended action stated that this House calls on the government to ensure that its resources and supply concentration policies often remain financially accountable and sustainable.

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Pakistan election 2024: Who is running and what are the key issues?

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Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League ( PML- N ) party is widely regarded as the man to defeat.

Sharif has run for excellent minister four times, most recently in 1990, 1997, and 2013. This comes after his fraud convictions and a lifetime election ban were overturned by the courts in December. &nbsp,

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the brother of the murdered former prime minister, is another well-known contender.

His Pakistan People’s Party ( PPP ) may end up playing a significant role in forming if there is no clear winner, despite the fact that political observers do not widely predict that he will win the election.

But, Imran Khan, the country’s next elected prime minister, and his absence, are the main topics of conversation and headlines.

BEHIND BARS IMRAN KHAN

Khan, arguably Pakistan’s most well-liked politician, is now incarcerated on claims he claims are politically motivated. &nbsp,

He is currently facing additional charges in addition to the extended jail terms he was given in recent months for a number of convictions, including corruption and illegal marriage.

The 71-year-old has been barred from holding public office for a total of ten times.

Khan has defended his innocence and claimed that the military-led establishment fabricates the crimes in order to prevent him from running for office and dismantle his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ( PTI), the Pakistan Movement for Justice party.

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City council approves B23.4bn for Green Line

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Bangkok government is “relieved” by the passage of the resources to assist in resolving long-standing debt issues.

PUBLISHED: February 7, 2024, at 18:57

City council approves B23.4bn for Green Line
At the Khu Khot depot in Pathum Thani, commuters wait in line to purchase tickets for the Green Line expansion. ( Image: Pattarapong Chatpattarsill )

A budget of up to 23.4 billion baht has been approved by the Bangkok Metropolitan Council to pay Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc ( BTSC ) for the construction and maintenance of the second Green Line extension.

At a meeting that was also attended by Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ), and other state officials, the draft ordinance received 43 votes in favor with one abstention.

According to Napapon Chirakul, a council for the Bangkok Noi area and the chairman of the committee reviewing the document, the resources would enable the BMA to acquire the assets from the expansion line and to pay the long-overdue costs for electrical and mechanical work and operations borne by BTSC.

The Golden Line rail at Samrong place and the Pink Line at Wat Phra Si Mahathat station are connected by the Green Line’s following extension. Last month, the BMA started charging people on the extension a smooth suffer of 15 baht per trip.

In order to focus on planning the money for various projects, the board urged the BMA to increase resources spending for the E&amp, M job.

For the sake of clarity and everyone’s benefit, the screen has reviewed the draft ordinance by adherence to relevant laws, according to Mr. Napapon.

The BMA’s Customers and Transport Department, according to Mr. Chadchart, will discuss the specifics of the 23.4 billion ringgit in investing with KT Corporation and BTSC on Thursday.

The government expressed his relief that the council members had approved of it. “KT may make an effort to haggle over a lower payment with BTSC.”

For operating and maintaining the Green Line, the BMA and its business arm Krungthep Thanakhom (KT ) owe BTSC about 30 billion baht.

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Earth already passed crucial 1.5°C warming limit: study – Asia Times

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According to a world-first study I led, global temperatures have already surpassed 1.5°C warming and may reach 2°S after this century. Based on temperature information found in water towel skeletons, the alarming results suggest that global climate change has advanced much more than previously believed.

Global warming is driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. In order to determine whether extreme weather events are more likely to occur in the near future and whether the globe is making progress toward emission reduction, it is crucial to have precise information about the amount of the heat.

Estimates of higher ocean warming up to this point have primarily been based on records of sea surface temperature, though these go up only about 180 years. Instead, we looked at 300 years ‘ worth of records found in the skeletons of long-lived sea sponges from the Eastern Caribbean.

In particular, we looked at variations in the amount of” strontium,” a chemical that reflects changes in water temperatures over the course of the individual’s life, in their bones.

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement aims to keep the average global temperature rise below 1.5°C since pre-industrial days. The option appears to have passed, according to our research, which was published in Nature Climate Change.

It’s possible that Earth has already warmed to at least 1.7°C since pre-industrial days, which is a very concerning finding.

sunrise in the Eastern Caribbean
The Eastern Caribbean brush samples were examined by the experts. Through The Conversation, Shutterstock

measuring the temperature of the sea

Significant changes to the Earth’s environment are being brought on by global warming. This became clear lately as a result of extraordinary heatwaves that swept through China, southern Europe, and much of North America.

Waters absorb a tremendous amount of heat and carbon monoxide and cover more than 70 % of Earth’s surface. Traditional methods for calculating global surface temperatures include averaging the heat of the atmosphere just above the area area and the water at the sea’s surface.

However, ocean temperatures data from the past are sporadic. By inserting a thermostat into water tests taken by ships, the earliest records of water temperatures were made.

Only the 1850s ‘ organized records are accessible, and even then, they just provide a limited amount of coverage. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defined the pre-industrial time as from 1850 to 1900 due to the dearth of earlier information.

However, since at least the early 1800s, individuals have been pumping significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is ideal to define the foundation time from which heat is measured from the middle of the 1700s or earlier.

Additionally, the early 1800s saw a string of extraordinarily massive volcanic eruptions that significantly cooled the planet. As a result, it becomes more challenging to precisely reconstruct firm baseline ocean temperatures.

But what if it were possible to measure ocean temperature exactly over time? There is, and the term “sclerosponge thermometry” describes it.

examining a unique towel

Sea shells known as sclerosponges resemble hard coral in that they produce phosphate skeletons. However, they develop much more slowly and can last for several hundreds of years.

Numerous chemical components, such as chloride and potassium, are present in the bones. During brighter and colder seasons, the ratio of these two factors changes. This implies that sclerosponges can offer a thorough record of water temperatures, even down to only 0.1°C.

Ceratoporella nicholsoni, a type of brush, was studied. They are found in the Eastern Caribbean, where top ocean heat naturally vary little, making it simpler to taunt out climate change’s results.

The “ocean combined coating,” a region of the sea, was the subject of our investigation. Heat is exchanged between the environment and the inside of the sea in this area, which is the lower portion.

a cross section of the sponge Ceratoporella nicholsoni
Ceratoporella nicholsoni, a type of brush, was studied by the creator and his associates. Photo: CC BY Wikimedia

To determine whether the present time period that defines pre-industrial temperatures was appropriate, we examined temperatures going again 300 years. But what did we discover?

From 1700 to 1790 and from 1840 to 1860, with a center temperature difference brought on by volcanic cooling, the sponge data displayed almost continuous temperatures. We discovered that a rise in sea temperatures started in the middle of the 1860s and was unmistakably noticeable by the mid-1870s. This suggests that the times 1700 to 1860 should be used to define the pre-industrial time.

The repercussions of these results are significant.

What does this mean for the environment?

This new benchmark paints a very different image of global warming. It demonstrates that human-caused ocean warming started at least a few years earlier than the IPCC had previously thought.

The common heat over the 30 years from 1961 to 1990, as well as warming in more recent years, is frequently used to measure long-term culture shift.

Our findings imply that the heat of the ocean and land floor rose by 0.9°C between the close of our newly defined pre-industrial time and the 30-year regular mentioned above. Using the standard period for the pre-industrial phase, the IPCC has estimated a warming of 0.4 degrees Celsius, which is much higher than this.

The Earth does include warmed on average by at least 1.7°C since pre-industrial days if the average global warming from 1990 to the present is taken into account. This suggests that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target has been met.

Additionally, it suggests that the agreement’s overarching objective of maintaining regular international climate below 2°C is now very likely to be met by the end of the 2020s, which is almost two years sooner than anticipated.

Our research has even yielded yet another concerning result. Land-air temperatures have increased by nearly half the price of surface oceans since the later 20th century, reaching levels that are more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

This is in line with the well-recognized decrease in Arctic tundra and the rise in the frequency of heatwaves, bushfire, and drought throughout the world.

Our updated projections indicate that culture change is more developed than previously believed. This is a very serious matter.

Humanity now faces a very difficult process of continuing to warm below 2°C, it seems, having missed the opportunity to stop global warming from reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius. This emphasizes how serious it is to reduce emissions by half by 2030.

Professor Malcolm McCulloch teaches at Western Australia University.

Under a Creative Commons license, this post has been republished from The Conversation. Read the article in its entirety.

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Digital handout may violate charter, graft busters warn

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According to NACC, there is no issue; only an economic slowdown and unjustified borrowing.

PUBLISHED: 7 February 2024 at 17 :41

Digital handout may violate charter, graft busters warn
At Government House in November of last year, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin tries to explain Pheu Thai’s 10,000 bass online budget plan. ( Image: Chanat Katanyu )

The government was forewarned by the National Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday that its 10,000 bass digital wallet flyer may be illegal under the constitution and other laws and result in a significant public debt burden.

Niwatchai Kasemmongkol&nbsp, the NACC secretary general, informed investigators that the commission’s decision was the result of extensive research and discussions with experts, scientists, and representatives of pertinent organizations.

It may lower the risk of breaking the law, the State Fiscal and Financial Disciplines Act, and the Currency Act and, most important, do not result in a long-term public debt problem, he said, “if its implementation is through the ordinary budget process, not based on loans raised through borrowing legislation.”

The coalition-core Pheu Thai Party’s online budget plan, according to Mr. Niwatchai, differs from the plan the government unveiled in parliament on September 11, 2023, during fighting for the May 14 general election.

” The Office of the Election Commission should determine whether this contravenes both the natural laws on social functions and the law… Normally, it will be precedent-breaking, he said, that political parties are exempt from having to implement their platform after winning office.

According to the NACC secretary-general, the 10, 000 baht flyer could be viewed as coverage problem if it turns out to gain specific political parties, politicians, people, and conglomerates, which is more likely than benefitting small businesses.

He added that although the authorities intended to use 500 billion baht to carry out the plan, its fiscal multiplier was only 0.4 ( the amount that people and organizations end up spending on other things as a result of purchasing one good or service ).

So, loans will result in a significant debt burden on both the government and the populace. The loan may be repaid over a period of four to five years, which will have an impact on government spending and purchase, according to Mr. Niwatchai.

When there is no financial crisis, the NACC recommended that the government provide financial aid to the poor in order to avoid negative economic effects.

According to the NACC investigation, the Bank of Thailand’s issue signals and data from World Bank and International Monetary Fund studies show that Thailand is experiencing an economic downturn rather than a crisis.

The government should concentrate on economic structure, encourage private consumption and saving and investment in the state industry, and develop employees ‘ skills, according to the NACC, in order to stimulate the economy with balance and sustainability.

Because the flyer would be one-off within a six-month period, the commission also questioned the viability of the government’s plan to use blockchain technology to utilize the online budget scheme.

Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, NACC secretary-general

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‘Improved’ southern peace road map discussed

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Ramadan and Songkran peace are also discussed in the first speaks in almost a month.

‘Improved’ southern peace road map discussed
A guy keeps watch as a motorcycle drives by on Yala’s road. ( Bangkok Post File Image )

Individuals said on Wednesday that after two weeks of peace negotiations in Malaysia between the Thai authorities and southern insurgents, a deal has been reached to seek an “improved” route map to resolving issues in the area.

Along with the Thai festival of Songkran, which begins in the middle of April, the two factors also hope to reach an agreement on a ceasefire that will include the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

In an effort to put an end to the conflict that has claimed more than 7,300 lives in the Muslim-majority region since 2004, talks between representatives of the Thai government and the separatist Barisan Revolusi Nasional ( BRN ) resumed on Tuesday.

Later this month and in March, professional sessions may be held to finalize information, according to Malaysian coach Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.

He stated that putting an end to conflicts and holding open consultations will be the main priorities.

Since the Pheu Thai authorities took company, there had never been deals like this. Additionally, they represent the government side’s chief negotiator for the first time in nine times. Former military leaders who served or retired served as the leaders of representatives that the earlier military-led state appointed. &nbsp,

According to chief government negotiator Chatchai Bangchuad, who is also the deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, the two sides have in principle agreed on a draft road map known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Toward Peace (JCPP ), which includes resolving the conflict politically.

At technical-level meetings at the end of February and in March, both sides would explain the document word more, according to Anas Abdulrahman, the mind of the BRN group.

The southern regions of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, where issue has flared intermittently for years, have been called for freedom by the BRN.

The southern area borders Malaysia and was once a part of Patani, an impartial Malay kingdom, before Thailand annexed it in 1909 as agreed upon by the United Kingdom.

According to Deep South Watch, a group that tracks the crime, the most recent period of fight broke out in 2004, and since then, more than 7,300 people have died. &nbsp,

The BRN stated that before the general election on May 14 of last year, the Thai social position needed to be more secure in order for the process to proceed. As a result, peace talks were postponed.

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