BoT recommends excluding the rich
The government will set the criteria regarding who is eligible for the 10,000-baht digital money handout, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
He made the remarks amid speculation that wealthy people may be excluded from the scheme.
Mr Srettha said a sub-panel planning the details of the handout discussed the matter with Bank of Thailand (BoT) governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput on Tuesday.
The prime minister said the government is trying to fine-tune the scheme based on recommendations from various sectors.
Asked whether the criteria would be adjusted and whether rich people should be eligible, Mr Srettha said: “I am listening to opinions.”
“There will be a proper definition of who counts as rich to ensure fairness. Some groups who are not in trouble may not have to receive it,” said Mr Srettha, who also serves as finance minister.
He had acknowledged a recommendation from the BoT governor that rich people should not receive the 10,000 baht.
“We acknowledged a recommendation from the Bank of Thailand governor that we should be more specific [about who is eligible].”
The digital money handout was a key election policy of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which heads the coalition government. Mr Srettha also announced it during the government’s policy statement to parliament.
The giveaway is aimed at stimulating spending in local communities, with the help of blockchain technology to ensure the money is spent within a 4-kilometre radius of the recipients’ registered address.
Mr Srettha confirmed the 10,000-baht handout would be given in a single payment and not delivered in instalments.
“The government intends to stimulate the economy effectively with a huge amount of money,” he said.
Mr Srettha said this degree of economic stimulus was needed because the country’s gross domestic product had grown by 1.8% on average annually over the past decade, and household debt was already at 91% of GDP.
Asked if the handout would be delayed from the planned Feb 1, 2024 launch, Mr Srettha said he was still reviewing the timeframe.
It will be delivered as soon as possible, he said.
Quizzed where the money was coming from, he said that was also still under consideration.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said earlier the scheme will require less than 560 billion baht because the number of people eligible for the handout — Thai citizens over 16 — is about 54.8 million, not 56 million. There are also others who intend not to take part, he noted.
The Senate committee on political development and public participation on Tuesday invited the Auditor-General, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Election Commission (EC) to discuss the government’s planned digital handout scheme.
Senator Seree, the committee’s chairman, yesterday revealed the outcome of the meeting.
He said the Auditor-General was monitoring the planned handout and gathering opinions from experts.
The Auditor-General was waiting for clarity on how the scheme would be implemented and whether it would cause any damage to the country’s financial standing or whether it would break any laws, Mr Seree said, adding the NACC was also keeping a close watch on the scheme.
The NACC previously said it was closely examining whether the scheme risks becoming a form of policy-oriented corruption, as suspected by some critics.
Mr Seree added the EC should have warned parties against coming up with election policies which would require massive budgets and could put the country’s economy at risk.
“The committee wants the government to be careful implementing the scheme to avoid causing damage to the country,” Mr Seree said.