More Blue Flag shops unfurl

The Commerce Ministry is revving up moves to set up 8,000 Blue Flag shops by Oct 1 to meet rising demand following government approval of the plan support the poor via the shops.

The move comes in response to the cabinet’s approval on Tuesday of a new aid package worth 41.94 billion baht for low-income earners, allowing them to get monthly subsidies to buy low-priced consumer products from designated shops.

Deputy Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said the ministry has been negotiating with local shops both in Bangkok and remote areas, as well as with major consumer goods makers, to create supply chains of consumer products at lower-thanmarket prices.

“The number of Blue Flag shops is expected to rise to 8,000 by Oct 1, up from the current 6,500 shops across the country,” he said.

According to the Comptroller-General’s Department, the package will be offered to 11.67 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.

As a result, the scheme’s recipients who earn under 30,000 baht a year will receive money to help them meet basic needs and cross the poverty line.

They will receive smart cards that contain their personal information and let them plug into state assistance such as subsidised transport, utility bills and staple goods to be bought at the Commerce Ministry’s Blue Flag shops.

Mr Sontirat said goods items to be sold in the Blue Flag shops would be grouped into three categories: consumer products, agricultural products and educational products.

Alcohol and cigarettes are specifically not allowed in the Blue Flag shops, Mr Sontirat said.

He said there are around 48 different items sold in the shops, mostly daily necessities and other basic goods.

However, the Commerce Ministry is about to add to the stock of goods available in the shops to reach more than 100 items, including rice, detergent, toothpaste, student uniforms and fertiliser, to increase choice for consumers.

“We need to pull all the shops together into a single system and install electronic data capture machines at the shops for payments of goods transferred from the producers and record payments by lowincome buyers,” Mr Sontirat said.

He said the Commerce Ministry is also in talks with producers to offer their products to local Blue Flag shops in bulk to enable the shops to sell to low-income earners at 15-20% lower than market prices.