Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Saturday he would speed up talks with Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat on how to move ahead with the 10,000-baht digital wallet scheme.
The handout, initially scheduled for launch in May, appeared to hit a snag in the wake of a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) study which warned the programme is mired in potential legal jeopardy.
Mr Srettha, also the finance minister, said the government is still waiting for the NACC's recommendations while also considering a contingency plan in the meantime.
"I will hold talks with Mr Julapun on how to proceed because the public is looking forward to the scheme rollout,'' he said.
The prime minister declined to say how delayed the handout would be, saying the government would have to consult with the NACC first.
Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to the prime minister, said the flagship policy remains on track and the government will move ahead with a bill to seek a 500-billion-baht loan to finance it.
He said the government is preparing to answer questions about the scheme after the NACC's report is forwarded to the government and the digital wallet committee meets again next week.
He said that current data suggests an economic crisis had hit the country, underlining the need for such a measure.
According to the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), GDP expanded by only 1.8% in 2023, lower than its forecast of 2.7%. The FPO expects the economy to grow by 2.8% this year.
"Whether or not it's a crisis, the government will decide. It's the government's job to formulate policies to alleviate the people's plight and take action based on the real situation. This is what it hopes to achieve with the digital wallet," Dr Prommin said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai also reiterated that the digital wallet policy was necessary to tackle economic problems.
Mr Phumtham mentioned a group of economists who warned that unless the government increases purchasing power and stimulates the fiscal multiplier effect, Thailand could find itself struggling to cope with an economic crisis similar to the crash of 1997.
