Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has appointed a 22-member board to steer the government's economic stimulus policy to ensure the government can fulfil its pledge to bolster the economy.
The appointment follows the delivery of the government's policy statement to parliament last week. The government aims to focus on measures to stimulate spending, ease the cost of living and increase job opportunities and income.
The 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 Ministry and the Interior Ministry; 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 president of the Thai Bankers' Association.
The finance permanent secretary also serves as the board's secretary while the director of the Fiscal Policy Office serves as an assistant to the secretary.
The board is tasked with designing the project's policy, 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 economic stimulus projects.
The board can formulate working teams to assist with its work and invite individuals to provide information or opinions for its consideration. State agencies and state enterprises are urged to collaborate.
Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said yesterday the second phase of the digital wallet scheme will be implemented 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 registered via smartphone.
The government decided to prioritise the distribution of funds to state welfare cardholders and disability cardholders totalling 14.5 million people, with distribution, in the form of cash, scheduled to begin Wednesday.
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 main opposition People's Party MP Sirikanya Tansakun about the delayed announcement of the recipients' registration result during the House meeting, Mr Julapan said the postponement was to avoid confusion while the cash handouts are made to the 14.5 million recipients.