Thai cabinet shifts budgets into fund for COVID-19 combat

Health workers spray disinfectant in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) - The Thai cabinet on April 21 approved to transfer 10 percent of the fiscal 2020 budgets of each ministry to be allocated to a central fund to fight the pandemic and rehabilitate the economy.

According to Budget Bureau Director Dechapiwat Na Songkhla, the government will get nearly 100.4 billion baht (3 billion USD), most of which has yet to be disbursed and is not tied-over budget.

The plan is part of the third round of Thai government measures to stem the impact of the outbreak. These measures will focus on people living in rural areas and on stabilising the financial and capital markets.

The central fund will be managed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, empowered by the emergency decree.

Dechapiwat said the Thai government will also revise the fiscal 2021 budget in order to allocate funding to cope with the pandemic. The central budget in fiscal 2021 budget is set at 99 billion baht.

In a separate development, the cabinet yesterday approved a rice insurance scheme for the 2020-21 season worth 2.91 billion baht, aiming to cover 45.7 million rai of farmland.

On the same day, the Thai Cabinet also approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal to offer a 5,000 baht monthly relief to 14 million people instead of just 9 million./.