Thai Commerce Minister affirms 60 billion paid to farmers

[robblok]

Suthep's own words this evening:

Suthep: Pay these farmers their money even if it means the country is in deficit.

But a few days ago he said that he would block any bank that gives loans to the government to pay farmers, in order to prevent Thailand from borrowing money?

Maybe the government should pay from the National Budget allocated moneys and at the same time make it visible and accountable?

Correct, pay them and if laws have been broken hold the government responsible. They created that mess they just want to get out without punishment. That is not going to work, to pay they have to break some laws and will be punished.

So their choice is do nothing let farmers rot.. or take the punishment they deserve by being corrupt or just stupid. Either way i would not ask the farmers to hold their breath.

The government just want a get out of jail card.. its not that they don't want to help the farmers.. its that they don't want to be responsible and get punished for it. That is the whole problem, and also what is wrong with Thailand.. Guilty parties almost never get punished.

[billd766]

A lot of very ugly comments....such certainty and such hatred...if the EC would allow the government to borrow the money the farmers could be paid...it's that simple...the EC said no, and the government doesn't have the authority to raise the debt it carries.

Commenters who ignorantly claim to know that the money has been stolen by Thaksin, my question is what money? The government hasn't raised any money for people to steal...those who have stolen are the important rice brokers who have the export monopoly, and the customs agents who have accepted bribes to let in foreign rice for pledging, and the millers who falsify documents with amounts and grades of rice that don't exist...

IT is a ludicrous scheme that appears to have been designed to facilitate corruption...but think before you type...the money hasn't gone into Yingluck or Thaksin's personal pockets.

Why should the caretaker government NEED to borrow the money to pay for the rice it has already bought?

It was supposed to be a revolving fund.

1 The farmer takes his rice to the miller who issues a scrip to be reclaimed from the BAAC.

2 The miller sells the rice to the government and gets paid or not (nobody is too sure about that step).

3 The government then sell the rice on the international market at a profit (it is a loss really but don't tell anybody).

4 The government then gives the money to the BAAC who then pay the farmer.

Easy so far as that is the MASTER plan.

It falls over at step 3 as the government cannot actually sell the rice but do make up lies to cover that bit which still leaves step 4.

Step 4 doesn't work as the government has no money to give to the BAAC to pay the farmers.

5 Step 5 is that the government "borrows" the money to pay the bank but still cannot sell the rice to make step 4 work.

6 Step 6 is the the PM Yingluck dissolves the government which screws the system up completely because as a caretaker government is not allowed to take out a loan to pay its bills.

The main question is, whose rice policy was it, who dissolved parliament and who is blaming everybody else for their own mistake?

Step forward PM Yingluck and the PTP and please accept on behalf of ALL the Thai people the responsibility for this monumentous screw up. It is YOUR problem, YOU fix it.

[rogerdee123]

They've probably been paid "script"and not money. Even the millers were saying that the "script" that the famers were holding is useless because the Govt has no money. It's like paying with cheques without any money in the bank account. The deadbeats can say ... "I sent you the payment last month .... you can't say I didn't pay"

[robblok]

A lot of very ugly comments....such certainty and such hatred...if the EC would allow the government to borrow the money the farmers could be paid...it's that simple...the EC said no, and the government doesn't have the authority to raise the debt it carries.

Commenters who ignorantly claim to know that the money has been stolen by Thaksin, my question is what money? The government hasn't raised any money for people to steal...those who have stolen are the important rice brokers who have the export monopoly, and the customs agents who have accepted bribes to let in foreign rice for pledging, and the millers who falsify documents with amounts and grades of rice that don't exist...

IT is a ludicrous scheme that appears to have been designed to facilitate corruption...but think before you type...the money hasn't gone into Yingluck or Thaksin's personal pockets.

Why should the caretaker government NEED to borrow the money to pay for the rice it has already bought?

It was supposed to be a revolving fund.

1 The farmer takes his rice to the miller who issues a scrip to be reclaimed from the BAAC.

2 The miller sells the rice to the government and gets paid or not (nobody is too sure about that step).

3 The government then sell the rice on the international market at a profit (it is a loss really but don't tell anybody).

4 The government then gives the money to the BAAC who then pay the farmer.

Easy so far as that is the MASTER plan.

It falls over at step 3 as the government cannot actually sell the rice but do make up lies to cover that bit which still leaves step 4.

Step 4 doesn't work as the government has no money to give to the BAAC to pay the farmers.

5 Step 5 is that the government "borrows" the money to pay the bank but still cannot sell the rice to make step 4 work.

6 Step 6 is the the PM Yingluck dissolves the government which screws the system up completely because as a caretaker government is not allowed to take out a loan to pay its bills.

The main question is, whose rice policy was it, who dissolved parliament and who is blaming everybody else for their own mistake?

Step forward PM Yingluck and the PTP and please accept on behalf of ALL the Thai people the responsibility for this monumentous screw up. It is YOUR problem, YOU fix it.

They want to fix it ... but they don't want to take responsibility.

The opposition wants them to do something they are not allowed to do to fix it so they can use it against her (i agree as its their mistake they should not be able to walk away from it without problems(

The government does not want to pay for their mistakes they want others to say ok you can do this we wont use it against you.

Others are of course not so stupid and dont let that that happen.

Too bad the farmer is caught in the middle.

The government should just do what is needed and by doing so destroy themselves.

[tonneke breda]

"However, he admitted that payments for November through January are still outstanding. Based on the information, the ministry is only two months behind in its payments, not four as claimed."

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

= 3 MONTHS, right?

Maybe I could lend him my hand for counting on, mind you I would need to check I still had 4 fingers and a thumb after he had finished!

January is due by the end of February.

Maybe I am counting wrong but on my calendar it's not the end of February yet.

And they paid 60 billion to the farmers, and the farmers decline, who to belief, a liar that you support or thousands of farmers who used to support the same liars???

Red skirt scum who defends this government should be punished for making false accusations as well, and the foreigners who do so should be expelled from the country