Thai Govt Ready With Law On Farmer Welfare

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Govt ready with law on farmer welfare

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

The Abhisit government is close to finalising one of its popular schemes: a draft law promising welfare to farmers will soon come up for parliamentary approval.

The Agriculture Ministry will this week submit the draft law governing such programme for the Cabinet's approval, after screening by the Council of State.

The law will pave the way for the setting up of a welfare fund for farmers, a juristic body that will promote savings among members and promise welfare and other privileges to retired or disabled members and their family members.

According to the paper obtained by The Nation, the farmer welfare fund will be overseen by a committee, |to be chaired by the perma-|nent secretary for agriculture. Other members include |representatives from the |Budget Bureau, National Economic and Social Development Board, Comptroller-General's Office, and three experts appointed by the agriculture minister.

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The government will offer |an endowment amounting to |at least 150 per cent of the members' contributions. A monthly report on the fund's finances would be submitted for the committee's review and every year, the annual report must be submitted to the Cabinet.

The committee is also empowered to draw up the membership criteria as well as the benefits. Combined benefits must not be lower than 100 per cent of contributions from the members. Disabled members will no longer need to make a contribution, and the government will pay half of their required contribution to the fund.

The scheme is one of several initiated by the government, apparently to woo votes from grass-roots citizens. On the cards are a similar scheme to provide financial support to street vendors, taxi-motorcycles and taxi drivers. Critics said the increasing social costs would place a burden on the public finances in the years to come, and deplete funds available to finance government investment projects.

-- The Nation 2011-04-11