TOKYO, May 13 – Designation of water retention areas under the government’s flood prevention plan will be finalised by May, said Deputy Prime Minister/Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong on Sunday.
The deputy prime minister said he expected that aerial maps which are being conducted under cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be completed by this month.
The aerial map will help indicate water retention areas and the government will discuss with local residents and farmers, who will be compensated fairly by the government.
The government is ready to handle potential flood problems, Mr Kittiratt said.
Regarding disbursement of the budget from loans under a state executive decree, which allows for the borrowing of 350 billion baht for water management and flood prevention projects, he said that the first portion of the budget will be disbursed in May and partly used towards water prevention walls around seven industrial estates in central provinces.
Meanwhile, a request to the disaster insurance fund to increase sublimit insurance claims for the industrial sector from the existing maximum at 30 percent of the total insurance fund, the deputy prime minister said he ordered Areepong Bhoocha-oom Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance, as a committee member of the disaster insurance fund, to propose the issue to the committee meeting for consideration as soon as possible.
