Rice-Pledging Scheme Could ' Doom Yingluck '

[dcutman]

"But since this is executed nationwide, there could be bottlenecks at the low level and we need time to improve this. Something can't be 100 per cent perfect. But this is not because it is a bad policy or a bad process," she said.

Yes no reason you could not pay the money directly to the farmer, no the miller has to be involved so he can take his cut, the administrator has to be involved so he can take his cut, the local government needs to be involved so it can take its cut, etc. Then at the end of the chain is the poor farmer, who was to benefit from this scheme and he is lucky to get a couple thousand extra bhat.

Sounds oddly familiar to the bailout of the banks in America, instead of bailing out the homeowners the banks who caused the problem got the money. Here in Thailand instead of the farmer getting the money the a++Hol++ got it instead.

The last sentence says it all. It does not say what individual govt employees cut is, but I am sure it is a good chunk of the other 95% the poor farmer is not getting.

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The government rice pledging programme is rife with corruption and inefficiency, putting the entire industry at risk unless changes are made, local economists and rice experts said.

One of the most important economic policies of the Yingluck Shinawatra government, the programme represents a guarantee by the state to purchase unlimited amounts of rice from local farmers at prices as much as 50% higher than market value.

But economists said the programme, which has cost the state more than 200 billion baht to date, is one of the worst-designed and costliest policies enacted by the Yingluck government as it nears the end of its first year in office.

Ammar Siamwalla, honorary economist at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said the rice pledging scheme was "pro-rich and anti-poor", with high pledging prices raising the cost of living for the entire public.

"The policy is biased in favour of farmers who can produce more rice compared with those who produce less," he said yesterday. "The policy has also added to the hardship faced by the poor who must purchase rice for their own consumption."

According to the TDRI, 63% of the funds spent on the pledging programme went to merchants and millers, with the rest going to farmers. Only 5% of funds spent went to poor farmers.

[nurofiend]

OK, let's do this

Government doomed, protests, riots, escalation, army steps in, restores law and order

interested anyone?

For me, anyway, anything will be way better than these buffoons

so you'd prefer... protests, riots, escalation, army stepping in, 'restoring law and order' by which i assume you mean a coup?

nah, not interested in the illegal overthrowing of government, sorry.

and reply all you want but i'm not getting into it, can't be bothered.

Edited October 3, 2012 by nurofiend

[Mosha]

OK, let's do this

Government doomed, protests, riots, escalation, army steps in, restores law and order

interested anyone?

For me, anyway, anything will be way better than these buffoons

so you'd prefer... protests, riots, escalation, army stepping in, 'restoring law and order' by which i assume you mean a coup?

nah, not interested in the illegal overthrowing of government, sorry.

and reply all you want but i'm not getting into it, can't be bothered.

Yep lets stick with the elite in Dubai blaming the elite in Thailand

[asiawatcher]

So the nations top economist says scrap it as it is rife with corruption and will bring down the Government whilst the puppet master defends it publicly in Singapore. Who would you believe? Why would Thaksin want to defend it when it can bring down 'his' government. A last ditch killing at scamming a few billion Baht more? I wonder when the Thai people will wake up.

Its pay back time, if they can't get Thaksin back to Thailand, Thaksin will <deleted> the country.

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

There is no doubt in my mind Thaksin is a self serving entity with all his cronies. This is not about politics, this is about stealing as much money as possible and using politics as the vehicle by which to do so. Every day that goes past is another day Thaksin ceases to get that chance to return so like any sociopath, he will keep playing the game because it is all about winning. All the dialogue and lip service - this guy is manipulating the weak minded and the poor with monetary promises, none of which is coming from his pockets. The game continues...

[OZEMADE]

In my honest opinion?????????????

It never helps the farmers and producers, just the middle man, and whom ever they can buy..... I also read other posts about bringing in rice from other countries.... Noticed how YINGLUCK IS DOING so much traveling lately? Hmmm wonder what they are up to........ Do not know how it is where you live, but here in the U.S. asian stores selling this rice are shaking in their boots...

The point is this, the farmers will take it in the ass again, while the PM tells them fairytales....

Kerry

All she has to do is get rid of the 3 or 5 middle men in each province. There the ones stealing and dudding the farmers and the Gov.

Edited October 3, 2012 by OZEMADE

[finnomick1]

In my honest opinion?????????????

It never helps the farmers and producers, just the middle man, and whom ever they can buy..... I also read other posts about bringing in rice from other countries.... Noticed how YINGLUCK IS DOING so much traveling lately? Hmmm wonder what they are up to........ Do not know how it is where you live, but here in the U.S. asian stores selling this rice are shaking in their boots...

The point is this, the farmers will take it in the ass again, while the PM tells them fairytales....

Kerry

A couple of months ago, I could ( if I so desired ) go to the nereby Cambodian border market and buy a couple of kg's of rice and very cheap it was too. Then people started buying rice by the sack-load etc., etc. So they closed the border ( again ) to stop the trade of rice unless of course, you were one of the rice barons with a fleet of trucks. and these very same rice barons shake their heads when the local farmers take their sacks of rice to sell. Sorry, can't give you the government price for a variety of reasons. We tell you the price so take it or leave it. What choice does the farmer have if all his money comes from growing rice ? He has to accept their low price to survive, so no Ms. Yingluck, the farmer will never benefit from your schemes. Added to this, if you want the poorest people to have a better chance of living, why has the ' under 400 baht ' free electricity scheme been scrapped ?

Shafted again comes to mind as Kerrysum so rightly puts it.

[ballpoint]

In my honest opinion?????????????

It never helps the farmers and producers, just the middle man, and whom ever they can buy..... I also read other posts about bringing in rice from other countries.... Noticed how YINGLUCK IS DOING so much traveling lately? Hmmm wonder what they are up to........ Do not know how it is where you live, but here in the U.S. asian stores selling this rice are shaking in their boots...

The point is this, the farmers will take it in the ass again, while the PM tells them fairytales....

Kerry

All she has to do is get rid of the 3 or 5 middle men in each province. There the ones stealing and dudding the farmers and the Gov.

In most Isaan provinces the 3 or 5 middle men are the government.

[OZEMADE]

In my honest opinion?????????????

It never helps the farmers and producers, just the middle man, and whom ever they can buy..... I also read other posts about bringing in rice from other countries.... Noticed how YINGLUCK IS DOING so much traveling lately? Hmmm wonder what they are up to........ Do not know how it is where you live, but here in the U.S. asian stores selling this rice are shaking in their boots...

The point is this, the farmers will take it in the ass again, while the PM tells them fairytales....

Kerry

All she has to do is get rid of the 3 or 5 middle men in each province. There the ones stealing and dudding the farmers and the Gov.

In most Isaan provinces the 3 or 5 middle men are the government.

That's what I am talking about, too many officials get rid of them, too many hands in the till.

[Skywalker69]

Looks like he is visiting the dentist

He should be visiting his Doctor for a liver test. His complexion looks "unnatural".

He should stay of the bottle.

[Skywalker69]

In my honest opinion?????????????

It never helps the farmers and producers, just the middle man, and whom ever they can buy..... I also read other posts about bringing in rice from other countries.... Noticed how YINGLUCK IS DOING so much traveling lately? Hmmm wonder what they are up to........ Do not know how it is where you live, but here in the U.S. asian stores selling this rice are shaking in their boots...

The point is this, the farmers will take it in the ass again, while the PM tells them fairytales....

Kerry

All she has to do is get rid of the 3 or 5 middle men in each province. There the ones stealing and dudding the farmers and the Gov.

In most Isaan provinces the 3 or 5 middle men are the government.

Thats why Thaksin is eager to proceed with the scheme, he wants some of his 46 bilj. back.

[Insight]

OK, let's do this

Government doomed, protests, riots, escalation, army steps in, restores law and order

interested anyone?

For me, anyway, anything will be way better than these buffoons

so you'd prefer... protests, riots, escalation, army stepping in, 'restoring law and order' by which i assume you mean a coup?

nah, not interested in the illegal overthrowing of government, sorry.

and reply all you want but i'm not getting into it, can't be bothered.

Why not?

[KarenBravo]

There is no doubt in my mind Thaksin is a self serving entity with all his cronies. This is not about politics, this is about stealing as much money as possible and using politics as the vehicle by which to do so.

And this is different from when the Democrats were in power, how?

[Phatcharanan]

There is no doubt in my mind Thaksin is a self serving entity with all his cronies. This is not about politics, this is about stealing as much money as possible and using politics as the vehicle by which to do so.

And this is different from when the Democrats were in power, how?

Quite simply.........Abhisit has a road-map of coherent argument, whilst Yingluck has a road-map of shopping malls

[yoshiwara]

There is no doubt in my mind Thaksin is a self serving entity with all his cronies. This is not about politics, this is about stealing as much money as possible and using politics as the vehicle by which to do so.

And this is different from when the Democrats were in power, how?

As far as I am aware only Thaksin used his wife, kids and the family chauffeur to conduct money laundering, but hey you might be right.

[KarenBravo]

From Wikipedia:-

"The first Chuan government (1992–1995) fell when members of the Cabinet were implicated in profiting from Sor Phor Kor 4-01 land project documents distributed in Phuket province"

My point is that no matter which party rules Thailand, they all get their snouts in the trough..

[AleG]

From Wikipedia:-

"The first Chuan government (1992–1995) fell when members of the Cabinet were implicated in profiting from Sor Phor Kor 4-01 land project documents distributed in Phuket province"

My point is that no matter which party rules Thailand, they all get their snouts in the trough..

Corrupt politicians absolutely love this attitude.

[OzMick]

There is no doubt in my mind Thaksin is a self serving entity with all his cronies. This is not about politics, this is about stealing as much money as possible and using politics as the vehicle by which to do so.

And this is different from when the Democrats were in power, how?

The Democrat rice subsidy was paid directly to farmers.

[asiawatcher]

There is no doubt in my mind Thaksin is a self serving entity with all his cronies. This is not about politics, this is about stealing as much money as possible and using politics as the vehicle by which to do so.

And this is different from when the Democrats were in power, how?

What has this rice scam got to do with Dems, it is/was not their objective or policy creation? Just another Thaksin populist policy and also a way for him and his cronies to skim. Can't say there were too many scams of this proportion when the Dems were in the seat. If the inference of your question is corruption, you cannot compare Dems to Reds. Reds win hands down, and openly so.

[looping]

With 15 mil tons of rice in storage, why has Thailand suddenly become a rice importer(250,000 tons a month? This scheme has distorted so many markets, not only does the tax payer get bent over, but every person in Thailand has to pay much more their incomes to buy the food they eat.

http://mnews.thegktr...rice-supply-gap

Well, if I could buy 250 000 tons of rice at 8000 baht a ton, then rebag it and send it through the mill system and claim 15 000 baht for it then guess what I would do. There will be hundreds of truck loads of this stuff being brought in from Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia etc etc, all 're-cycled' as Thai rice to qualify for the government payments.

No wonder T and Hun Sen are so close.

[quandow]

I'm ignorant about rice farming - isn't there a "shelf life" for this stuff? I mean, after, say, four years in storage, doesn't it become riddled with vermin eggs and rat poop?