Bangkok – The Cabinet has approved a range of measures in the hopes of spreading some holiday season cheer.
A plan to provide 1,800 baht per rai for up to 15 rai for rubber growers and tappers was passed by the Cabinet to assist rubber-tree plantations struggling against the product’s falling price. An estimated 1 million plus rubber growers working 9.45 million rai of land are expected to benefit from the measure, which will be in effect until September next year. The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will pay out a combined sum of over 17 billion baht to fulfill the measure.
As for oil palm growers, a budget of 3.4 billion baht is to be used to provide 1,500 baht per rai for up to 15 rai. The assistance is for only the 150,000 growers registered with the Department of Agricultural Extension.
Meanwhile, village volunteers will from December this year to September next year receive 1,000 baht for their efforts, up from the current 600 baht. The Ministry of Public Health has also received approval for 736 million baht to purchase equipment for 9,800 sub-district hospitals.
Low income earners are to receive free SIM cards providing them with access to the Internet. It is hoped that access to information will help them lift themselves out of poverty and enrich their ability to work.
Elsewhere, the “Shopping for the Nation” program, has received Cabinet approved for income tax deductions up to 15,000 baht per person on purchases of books including E-books but excluding magazines and newspapers, registered OTOP products and rubber tires certified by the Rubber Authority of Thailand. Receipts from purchases made between December 15 2018 and January 16 2019 can be used to seek deductions.
Finally, the Cabinet acknowledged a plan to reduce road accidents during the New Year’s period. The “Drive Considerate and Disciplined” program will include six measures: reducing human risk factors, reducing environmental and road risk factors, reducing vehicle risk factors, post-accident assistance, maritime safety and safety of tourists.
