Thai PM satisfied with “Half-Price” co-pay campaign’s success

Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The Thai Prime Minister has voiced his satisfaction with the success of the government’s “Half-Price” co-pay campaign that has helped the general public cut down on living expenses while stimulating local economies.

The government is aiming to have more than 1 million shops involved, while urging participating shops and members of the public to adhere to the campaign’s terms and conditions.

In the campaign, the public can registered for a 150 baht per day, 3,000 baht throughout the campaign period credit, that can be used to subsidize up to half the price of their purchases at participating stores via the government’s wallet app.

Right now there are some 7.1 million persons registered in this campaign, and 523,000 participating shops across the country. A total of 7.63 billion baht’s worth of transactions have so far been made, with the government paying 3.74 billion baht in addition to the amount paid by the public at 3.89 billion baht.

The average amount of value per transaction in this campaign is 216 baht, with Bangkok being the province with the highest level of campaign spending, followed by Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, and Chiang Mai.

The Ministry of Finance will be opening the second round of applications for members of the public to participate in this campaign on November 11, from 6am to 11pm on the campaign’s website.

This second registration opening is also intended for persons whose initial application was rejected, and successful applicants who failed to make transactions within 14 days after receiving their confirmation SMS. Shops and vendors can register to participate at any time.

On concerns regarding mobile transactions and registrations, Minister of the Interior Gen Anupong Paochinda has directed provincial governors and district chiefs to promote the campaign as well as participating shops and vendors in their areas, with the goal of having more than 1 million participating stores to better increase cash flow.

The Prime Minister has, however, voiced his concerns on potential fraudulent activities, such as shops charging customers a higher price to receive an increased subsidy, or making a fake transaction.

He has asked for the cooperation of the general public and participating shops to adhere to the campaign’s terms and conditions, warning that any report of suspicious transactions can lead to a ban on both the vendor’s and the customer’s account in the campaign, with possible legal action to follow./.