Government agencies have come together under a targeted approach to tackle the issue of farm debts. The Bank of Thailand and 14 other governmental units are now setting up a database that will allow for a better understanding of this issue, and enable effective and targeted measures to be curated.
Government Spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the proposed database will link together farmers’ information in terms of their assets and loans from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, the National Village and Urban Community Fund Office, the Cooperative Promotion Department, and the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.
The database will contain registration information of crop farmers, cattle raisers, and fishermen, and the risk levels of natural disasters in their areas. The information is acquired through the Department of Agriculture Extension, the Office of Agricultural Economics, and the Rubber Authority of Thailand; whereas information related to the farmers’ occupation, income, and poverty status is provided by the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, and the Community Development Department.
The Bank of Thailand will be responsible for managing this information pool, and the Office of the Personal Data Protection Commission will be providing support and consultation on how to utilize such information in a way that complies with the personal data protection law. (NNT)
