BANGKOK – A meeting of cabinet ministers has approved a project to help people affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The meeting approved an extension of the government’s 5,000-baht cash handout scheme to cover 16 million people instead of the present 14 million and agreed to a proposal to provide financial aid to 10 million farmers.
The cabinet meeting approved the Ministry of Finance’s proposal to extend the cash handout scheme of 5,000 baht a month for three months to cover 16 million people in total. The project’s total budget is 240 billion baht.
The meeting also endorsed a project to pay 5,000 baht in compensation to 10 million affected farmers for three months, from May to July this year. Those who are eligible include 8.43 million farmers, who have already registered with the Department of Agricultural Extension, the Department of Livestock Development and the Department of Fisheries, and 1.57 million farmers, whose applications are being examined. A total of 150 billion baht is allocated to this project.
Unregistered farmers as well as farmers, who registered many years ago but have yet to update their information after the Department of Agriculture Extension’s announcement in 2017, can check their information on the Department of Agriculture Extension’s website until May 15 this year.
The cabinet ministers approved a project to pay 1,000 baht in compensation to 2 million registered persons with disabilities and a proposal to increase the allowance of 120,000 registered persons with disabilities from 800 baht to 1,000 baht a month, starting October 1, 2020.(NNT)
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