Welfare cards get a workout

Welfare cards get a workout

Recipients of the government's state welfare smart cards spent 270 million baht during the first two days of the scheme, which started on Oct 1.

Some 500,000 state welfare smart cards were used each day on average, said Suttirat Rattanachot, director-general of the Comptroller General's Department.

There were 11.7 million qualified registrants for the scheme and 7 million smart cards have been distributed, she said.

Some 14.1 million low-income earners registered this year with the government, up from 8.27 million in 2016. The scheme's recipients are entitled to smart cards that contain their personal information and let them access state assistance, covering subsidised transport, utility bills, staple goods to be bought at Thong Fah Pracha Rat shops, student uniforms, stationery and fertiliser. All transactions must be carried out through electronic data capture (EDC) terminals.

The cabinet on Aug 29 approved a new aid package worth 41.9 billion baht for low-income earners, providing monthly subsidies to buy low-priced consumer products at Thong Fah Pracha Rat and other designated shops.

The package includes allowances for rides on public buses and trains and subsidised utility bills. Recipients who earn under 30,000 baht a year receive a monthly living allowance of 300 baht and those earning 30,000-100,000 a year get 200 a month to cover basic living expenses at participating shops.

Each cardholder receives 1,500 baht a month for subsidised transport, with 500 each going to inter-provincial public buses, third-class trains, and public buses and electric trains.

The Commerce Ministry aims to have 8,000 EDC terminals installed at Thong Fah Pracha Rat shops in every subdistrict by the end of this month, up from 5,000 at present. The card-swiping devices will later be available at all 18,000 shops nationwide.

Ms Suttirat said that the remaining smart cards are expected to be completely distributed to the scheme's recipients by next week.

The Mangmoom (Spider) card for use on public buses and electric trains is on track to be distributed to recipients who live in Bangkok and its outskirts on Oct 17. Card readers will be installed on 800 public buses and at electric train stations by the middle of next year.

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