Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has appointed a 22-member board to steer economic stimulus policies to ensure the government can fulfil its pledge to bolster the economy
In the policy statement she delivered in parliament last week, Ms Paetongtarn said her government aimed to focus on measures to stimulate spending, ease the cost of living and increase job opportunities and income.
The new board, chaired by Ms Paetongtarn, comprises nine cabinet ministers including the finance minister and his two deputies; the prime minister’s secretary-general; permanent secretaries of the PM’s Office, the Finance and Interior ministries; the secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council; the Budget Bureau director; the Bank of Thailand governor, chairman of the Digital Government Development Agency; chairman of the Government Financial Institutions Association; and the president of the Thai Bankers’ Association.
The board is tasked with designing stimulus policies, objectives, implementation approach, criteria and conditions, as well as identifying sources of funding, to be submitted to the cabinet.
It is also responsible for establishing guidelines for database management, including collection, use, processing and disclosure of data to support the implementation of stimulus projects.
The board can set up working teams and invite individuals to provide information or opinions for its consideration. State agencies and state enterprises are urged to collaborate.
In a related development, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said on Thursday that the second phase of the digital wallet stimulus scheme would be carried out with funds already earmarked for the project.
He was reacting to concerns that the second phase could be scrapped after the government indefinitely postponed announcing the result for those who had registered via smartphone.
The government decided this month to prioritise the distribution of funds to state welfare cardholders and disabled people, totalling 14.5 million. Distribution of 10,000 baht per head, in the form of cash deposited in their accounts via PromptPay, is scheduled to begin on Sept 25.
Mr Julapun said that about 180 billion baht was earmarked for the second phase, which would be distributed via the digital wallet designed to lay the foundation for the digital economy.
“We want not only to stimulate the economy, but also to lay the foundations for the digital economy. We remain firmly committed to our goal,” he said.
Addressing questions from opposition People’s Party MP Sirikanya Tansakun about the delayed announcement of registration results, Mr Julapun said the postponement was intended to avoid confusion while the cash handouts are made to the initial group of 14.5 million recipients.