The cabinet approved 10 measures to cut the cost of living including reduction in the prices of cooking gas, oil and electricity for three months starting from May.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after the cabinet’s meeting that the Russia-Ukraine conflict caused fluctuation in oil prices and increases in production, transport and service costs as well as the cost of living.
He ordered organizations concerned to issue immediate measures to help people in addition to other measures that the government already introduced and they came up with at least 10 additional measures that would take effect from May to July, Gen Prayut said.
Under the first measure, the government will raise its cooking gas subsidy for 3.6 million holders of government welfare cards from 45 baht to 100 baht a month.
The second measure is a 100-baht monthly cooking gas subsidy for about 5,500 street vendors who have government welfare cards.
The third measure will be a 250-baht monthly petrol subsidy for 157,000 taxi motorcyclists registered with the Land Transport Department.
The fourth measure is to cap the price of compressed natural gas for the users of natural gas vehicles at 15.59 baht per kilogram.
Under the fifth measure, the drivers of metered taxis that used compressed natural gas supplied by PTT can buy the gas at 13.62 baht per kilogram.
The sixth measure will be a 22-satang discount on the fuel tariff (FT) per electricity unit on electricity fees for the people whose electricity consumption does not exceed 300 units per month. The discount will be available from May to August.
The seventh measure will see the retail diesel price being capped at 30 baht per liter until the end of April.
Under the eighth measure, the government will spend the Oil Fund to prevent a surge in the cooking gas price from April to June.
The ninth measure is reduction in the contribution of employers and employees to the Social Security Fund under Section 33 of the Social Security Act from 5% to 1% of salaries.
The tenth measure is to cut the contribution to the fund from 9% to 1.9% for Social Security members under Section 39 of the act and to 42-180 baht a month for Social Security members under Section 40 of the same law. (TNA)
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