Panel to meet on April 10 to set clear timeframe on remitting 10,000 baht to citizens
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said the 10,000 baht handout should reach eligible Thais before yearend, once a clear timeframe is set by the digital wallet committee.
The minister said on Monday that he believes the committee will reach a final decision on the project’s details and set a timeframe for completing key procedures when it convenes on April 10.
The details will then be sent to the Cabinet for approval and the project can kick off soon after, he said.
“After the April 10 meeting, everything will be clear. In the third quarter, shops should be able to register for digital wallet payment and eligible recipients should also be able to register,” the minister said.
“The system is almost ready and by the fourth quarter, definitely before yearend, 10,000 baht will be remitted to all eligible citizens via the digital wallet.”
Before the April 10 meeting, the digital wallet committee will gather at Government House on Wednesday to seek information from relevant agencies on what they have done so far.
The panel will also hear opinions from all sectors at the Wednesday meeting, Julapun said.
He added that the subcommittee in charge of implementing the policy had sought opinions from more than 100 government agencies, academic groups, the civil sector, chambers of commerce and several industries. He said his subpanel had received responses from nearly all sectors.
Also on Wednesday, the committee will hear about the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)’s official stance on the project. The NACC has voiced concerns that borrowing 500 billion baht to fund the project could violate the law on financial discipline and leave loopholes for corruption.
At the Wednesday meeting, the panel will also assign agencies concerned to make necessary preparations on their part, Julapun added.
The 10,000-baht digital wallet handout is a flagship policy of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which claimed in its electoral campaign that the project would be financed through the reallocation of unnecessary spending.
However, after taking office, the Pheu Thai-led government announced it would borrow 500 billion baht to finance the project, leading to economists wondering if such a huge loan would affect the economy. Strong opposition from several sides, especially the NACC, prompted the government to delay the project indefinitely.
