PM heralds new project to help poor

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has encouraged low-income earners who hold state welfare cards to take part in a life quality development project.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday said the premier called on welfare-card holders under the government’s subsidy scheme for the underprivileged to register for the project which would help enhance their livelihoods by providing vocational training, among other things. Applications for the project will be available until this Wednesday.

Under the scheme, subscribers will be provided with vocational training and job opportunities in April. They will also be entitled access to other benefits and will receive an additional 100-200 baht in their cards, starting next month.

Low-income earners can produce their cards for registration at branches of the Government Savings Bank and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives as well as district offices where they earlier registered for the welfare cards across the country, Lt Gen Sansern said.

Gen Prayut’s move comes after 5.6 million, or 48.8% of the 11.4 million welfare-card holders nationwide registered for the project on Friday. About 330,000 people are estimated to have enrolled in the scheme each day.

Provinces with the most subscribers are Kalasin, Sri Sa Ket, Loei, Roi Et and Nakhon Phanom.

Aside from the life quality project, Lt Gen Sansern said the prime minister also instructed state agencies to work transparently on projects which reflected the true needs of locals under the Thai Niyom Yangyuen (Thai-ism) scheme.

The scheme aims to make state agencies and local scholars collaborate to lift people’s living standards in line with goals set by the government’s 20-year national strategy.

Local administrative authorities, security affairs officials and community volunteers have been sent out to compile information and opinions from villagers in each province since last Wednesday.

Of the 99.5 billion baht allocated to the scheme, 35 billion baht will be allotted to enhancement of the grassroots economy, 34.5 billion baht for the development of local tourism and communities and 30 billion for reform of the agricultural industry’s production structure.