Item list for smart cards almost done

The list of items eligible for purchase with the state welfare smart card will be concluded this week, says the Commerce Ministry.

Deputy Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said authorities are almost finished deciding which products will be allowed under the welfare card project.

Prices offered largely through Thong Fah Pracha Rat low-priced stores will entail discounts at least 10% lower than normal market prices, helping ease the burden on low-income earners.

The move comes in response to the cabinet’s approval on Aug 29 of a new aid package worth 41.9 billion baht for low-income earners, letting them get monthly subsidies to buy low-priced consumer products from designated shops.

The package includes allowances for rides on public buses and trains and subsidised utility bills. The scheme is scheduled to come into force on Oct 1, the start of fiscal 2018.

The package will be offered to 11.7 million qualified low-income earners who registered with the state agency. A total of 14.1 million low-income earners have registered this year with the government, up from 8.27 million in 2016.

According to the government’s plan, t he scheme’s recipients will receive smart cards that will contain their personal information and enable access to state assistance such as subsidised transport, utility bills, staple goods to be bought at the Commerce Ministry’s Blue Flag shops, student uniforms, stationery and fertiliser.

Moreover, the scheme’s recipients who earn under 30,000 baht a year will receive money to help them meet basic needs and lift themselves out of poverty.

The smart card will be distributed to recipients from September, with state aid provided the following month.

Mr Sontirat said more than 30 major manufacturers are interested in making products and supplying the welfare card project, covering more than 150 items.

The product items will vary depending on demand and location.

One product item may be supplied by many popular brands, providing the greatest benefits to cardholders, Mr Sontirat said.