Bangkok – Blue Flag stores will be able to use a new mobile application ‘Tung Ngern Pracharath’ to charge the cost of purchases by social welfare cardholders next month instead of using an electronic data capture (EDC) machine.
Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong has revealed that nearly 20,000 Blue Flag stores have registered with the Ministry of Commerce to have the mobile application installed. The Comptroller General’s Department will examine their qualifications.
More stores across the country have been urged to join the bandwagon. The Ministry of Commerce is expecting as many as 100,000 stores to use the app after it is officially launched next month.
The minister believes that the use of such an application will spur economic growth at the grassroots level and generate higher incomes for Blue Flag store owners. Social welfare cardholders receive a total of 4 billion baht monthly from the government.
To pay via the mobile app, cardholders are required to obtain a 6-digit code at any Krung Thai bank or ATM to activate the application.
The minister stressed that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has placed an emphasis on boosting the grassroots economy, lowering the cost of living and strengthening small businesses.
The premier is scheduled to preside over the launch of the Tung Ngern Pracharath app on August 1 at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.
