Farmers call time on Yingluck's rice farce

[webfact]

OVERDRIVE
Farmers call time on Yingluck's rice farce
Thanong Khanthong

BANGKOK: -- The Yingluck government's rice-pledging scheme is set to go down in history as a complete failure, if not our worst and most corrupt subsidy programme. If justice is served, all of those involved in the scheme will go straight to jail to serve time.

The Yingluck government earmarked Bt500 billion (US$16 billion-$17 billion) for the rice scheme. This amount is equivalent to the standby credit that the IMF set aside for Thailand in 1997 when the country went bankrupt at the height of the baht crisis. But Yingluck Shinawatra, from the outset, was willing to risk this staggering amount of taxpayers' money.

Thailand produces about 20 million tonnes of rice a year. Since the average rice price in normal times is $500 per tonne, this brings the total value of Thailand's annual rice production to $10 billion. Yingluck chaired the National Rice Policy Committee, which oversees the broad policy of the rice subsidy programme. The manager of this rice-pledging scheme was former Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyabhirom, who was succeeded by Niwatthamrong Boonsonghaisal. As Finance Minister, Kittiratt Na Ranong was the one who garnered the tax for this subsidy.

And now how would you judge the performance of these high-flying Cabinet members who, together, blew Bt500 billion in two crop seasons?

If the rice-pledging scheme had been managed more prudently, with less corruption, it would have produced enough cash flow to continue the subsidy into the third year of the crop season. Again, Bt500 billion is a huge enough sum to provide the government with a cushion to keep the scheme humming. But the reality is very different. The scheme has spiralled out of control, with paddy from Myanmar and Cambodia joining the big "feast". The same truckloads of paddy are going into the scheme, coming out, then going back in again, in a procession Thais liken to wien thien - pilgrims circling the temple.

The budget for the scheme has gone through the roof and hit Bt770 billion. And corruption and mismanagement have been so rampant that its war chest of Bt500 billion has been sucked completely dry. So far the scheme has yielded a cash flow of Bt140 billion - not enough to keep the subsidy programme alive. This brings us to the current crisis the Yingluck government is facing - a shortfall of Bt130 billion owed to the farmers.

When Yingluck dissolved Parliament on December 9, her administration had forgotten to set aside another budget to meet the shortfall from the rice scheme, after the Bt500 billion had been used up. Now as a caretaker government, it cannot legally borrow money to pay to the farmers, who have pledged the rice to millers and warehouses under government supervision.

The farmers are suffering. They can't get the money from the government. At least five farmers have committed suicide. Millions of rice-growers are being saddled with insurmountable debt. When farmers, who are the backbone of the country, go bankrupt, how will Thailand remain standing?

Instead of resigning to assume responsibility for its failure, Yingluck insists on sticking with her caretaker-premier status, hoping that a miracle will bring her back to power. No chance. The farmers are now staging a revolt. More than 3,000 have petitioned His Majesty the King for royal assistance. Hundreds of them have asked the Lawyers' Society to sue the government on their behalf. Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the Occupy Bangkok Movement, has received Bt24 million in donations from the public and handed it over to pay for the farmers' legal fees and other court expenses. The farmers have been calling for the government to pay them the money it owes since October - more than two months before Yingluck's House dissolution. But Yingluck and her ministers took no action. The farmers will travel down to Bangkok on Monday and join the protest rally to demand their money. They want this government out so that a new administration can step in to rectify their debt crisis. Yingluck and her Cabinet are now facing payback time.


-- The Nation 2014-02-14

[TVGerry]

All true. Billions of our tax dollars lost and for what? So the rice farmers don't get paid and have to practically starve and kill themselves.

Of course, you can expect the red apologists to come and defend this scam. Expect them to compare it to the social programs of developed countries blah blah blah. Those programs don't make the lives of the poor people they're supposed to help worse!

[terryp]

Dream on Jail time ......LOL

[Mrjlh]

Just another reason the PTP wanted an "amnesty bill" passed. Had it passed, when this crap hit the fan as it is now appearing, no one would be convicted. The rice scheme and all the corruption happened all before the bill was even proposed. What other schemes are going to pop up now once the PTP is out of office? I can only hope PTP and Red Shirt supporters can see the the real truth behind the people they have been supporting. In all honesty not all are corrupt and really do mean well for the country but they need to change their fundamental thinking of how a government is run. Good luck with that.

[chainarong]

The three card trick failed, firstly ,you , the farmers fell for the biggest con in Thai history, they brought your vote, secondly, the PTP had no ideas about the costing's and did not budget for the cost, thirdly , didn't pay what they had to pay cause you are easy pickings, gullible to say the least, so what have the farmers learnt from this scam , I wounder if they have.

[maengda]

I hope somehow someday that farmers could have better treatment and more income. But to be literally robbed is outrageous! They produce the staple food in our diet, but get barely anything for their perseverance. Very sad indeed.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[noikrit]

Yep , this Rice Scam will be a case study in Universities around the world at what NOT TO DO !! ........... PS Funny thing is the Government and the Red Shirt Fan Club STILL haven't come to thier sences and realised what a farce it has been ... .....

[CraigSchuler]

Jail?......More like Dubai.

[tomyummer]

So why isn't their a quicker sniff through the paper trail of money? Where is it all?

[smedly]

Yep , this Rice Scam will be a case study in Universities around the world at what NOT TO DO !! ........... PS Funny thing is the Government and the Red Shirt Fan Club STILL haven't come to thier sences and realised what a farce it has been ... .....

the government and might I add the red leaders are involved in this to the hilt, like I've been saying for weeks - they will not step down because only then will the true extent of this grand theft be exposed

we have a red leader opening an airline - I suppose he can justify exactly were he got the money, that red leadership salary must be huge

[LeamchabangLarry]

Red lovers will be here soon to explain everything.

But this enormous pigfuc_k is not going away and the fact that PTP shows no remorse and will never step down, even after ripping out the souls of Thailand's farmers, is despicable.

Nope. the Reds here conveniently disappear from these threads that detail the magnitude of the rice graft

[spidermike007]

Communist policies carried out by a democratic government, that is capitalist, is often going to result in disaster. And to create these policies, without having the funds in place to implement them is inviting disaster. Farmers work with cash flow, to plant their next crop. Rice is one of the least profitable crops out there, and most rice farmers live hand to mouth. The government goombahs (ministers) must know this. So, why would they even consider carrying this out, and inviting these problems? Are they even less capable than we already thought? Is that possible?

[BlueNoseCodger]

This amount is equivalent to the standby credit that the IMF set aside for Thailand in 1997 when the country went bankrupt at the height of the baht crisis

Thailand current GDP $645 billion (source CIA factbook), i.e. 2.5% of Thailand GDP. 1997 GDP was $150 billion (from Wikipedia in todays dollars), i.e. the economy is more than 4 times bigger than it was in 1997.

Crude scaremongering propaganda.

The same truckloads of paddy are going into the scheme, coming out, then going back in again, in a procession Thais liken to wien thien - pilgrims circling the temple

Some corruption no doubt. I note Bluesky hinted that the LopBuri fire might be to cover missing stock. It burned 14 tonnes, i.e. 14 /20,000,000 = 0.00007% of Thai rice production. And the unproven claim they make is a missing 3500 tonnes, i.e. 3500 / 20,000,000 = 0.02%. Yet they use the word 'rampant' for 0.02%! More propaganda.

Given this scheme replaced the Democrat subsidy, which was a paper transaction and far easier to corrupt, it likely reduced the corruption by making it harder to cover up! The rice would be missing so a stock count would reveal the missing rice! Which is why they claim the fire is a cover up.

The farmers have been calling for the government to pay them the money it owes since October - more than two months before Yingluck's House dissolution. But Yingluck and her ministers took no action

They issued a bond, which came out November 14th, sadly scuppered by Suthep's marches (started November 3rd).

Instead of resigning to assume responsibility for its failure, Yingluck insists on sticking with her caretaker-premier status, hoping that a miracle will bring her back to power. No chance.

She resigned as PM, that starts the constitutional election process. Your candidate didn't want to win votes, he wouldn't even stand for election, he just simply decided that he should have power and yet he's not even the leader of the Democrats let alone the elected PM.

Edited February 14, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[robblok]

Red lovers will be here soon to explain everything.

But this enormous pigfuc_k is not going away and the fact that PTP shows no remorse and will never step down, even after ripping out the souls of Thailand's farmers, is despicable.

Nope. the Reds here conveniently disappear from these threads that detail the magnitude of the rice graft

It is too hard to deny ... so they ignore it.

[tomacht8]

The whole scheme was so beautifully packaged. Subsidies to the rice farmers to help.

Subsidies are ok, but they must remain in a limited time period.

The goal is to make unprofitable industries competitive and compensate for market and/or price fluctuations.

But

This rice scheme was not designed for this noble purpose.

It was solely designed to suck state funds off, unseen.

The good question is really, where's all the money gone?

The money is not away.

The question is, who has it now?

I think of the administrative official who made this irregularities public, which of course was made very quickly silenced.

The quick dissolution of Parliament, indeed also led to, that now no parliamentary control is possible.

Before many times the opposition asked in parliament for numbers and explanations for the irregularities.
But the government simply has not answered any questions.

They must create mechanisms, particularly in reporting and documentation, that makes the control over the use of government funds, possible.
And those who have cheated and robbed the state, must go in jail.

[BlueNoseCodger]

Lets cover some of the fluff. The substance of the article I covered in this comment.

At least five farmers have committed suicide.

Suthep's protests have so far killed 10 people, 6 people alone got shot at Laksi by his guards.

Millions of rice-growers are being saddled with insurmountable debt. When farmers, who are the backbone of the country, go bankrupt, how will Thailand remain standing?

Suthep is trying to block bank loans to them, so they're stuck with expensive black market loans.

So this statement is pure hypocritical garbage:

Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the Occupy Bangkok Movement, has received Bt24 million in donations from the public and handed it over to pay for the farmers' legal fees and other court expenses.

And as long as the EC delays elections, then the government can't borrow to pay the bills either. It can't pay out in seats that haven't voted for fear of being accused of vote buying. So if Nation really wanted to help the farmers, it should be campainging to get the elections done in accordance with the Constitution of Thailand.

Edited February 14, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[tomacht8]

Yep , this Rice Scam will be a case study in Universities around the world at what NOT TO DO !! ........... PS Funny thing is the Government and the Red Shirt Fan Club STILL haven't come to thier sences and realised what a farce it has been ... .....

the government and might I add the red leaders are involved in this to the hilt, like I've been saying for weeks - they will not step down because only then will the true extent of this grand theft be exposed

we have a red leader opening an airline - I suppose he can justify exactly were he got the money, that red leadership salary must be huge

I would also like to know more about the Nattawut transport companies.

Down in Nakon Si Tamarat, they carry out rice and nobody knows where this rice went to.

Same for Ang Tong tonight.

[greenwoodsolar]

@BlueNoseCodger

There's none so blind as them as won't see

Edited February 14, 2014 by greenwoodsolar

[BlueNoseCodger]

@BlueNoseCodger

There's none so blind as them as won't see

Then enlighten me, because I crunch the numbers and this story is garbage.

Also the motives involved, on the one hand Suthep is blocking bank loans to farmers and spoiling bond sales from the government, and the next minute he's trying to cosy up to farmers and pretend to encourage bank loans.

One minute their vote is 'not quality/worthless' and the next he's cuddling them in a show of support!

Edited February 14, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[tingtongteesood]

Come on Shannon, Fab4, Moonao and the rest of you red sheeple fools, come and try to spin this, tell us what a huge success the rice scheme has been and that the rest of us are all just too stupid to understand it. We await your spin propaganda with great anticipation.

[Scamper]

Terrific article. Indeed, the public has been lulled into stupefaction by the Yingluck administration's spin that it is still a parliamentary-backed government, with all the powers therein. It's a complete fiction, and their inability to delegate monies to the farmers is proof of that. And now they are trying the unconstitutional means of approaching the banks - not as a parliamentary-backed administration - but as casual observers, asking that the loans be approved - not from a formal parliamentary standpoint - but as a gesture of goodwill. It is yet just the most recent unconstitutional act of this administration. And it's happening before our very eyes.

[otherstuff1957]

BNC, you might want to look up the word 'obfuscation'. Obfuscation in a political argument is to spew out an array of facts which, while undoubtedly true, do not address the logical core of the issue.

[BIGTOE3]

BlueNoseCodger ?? More like BlueNoseTroughEater.

Read the article again with clear Glasses on.

Your here less than a Month and you know better

Have a

BT

[LeamchabangLarry]

@BlueNoseCodger

There's none so blind as them as won't see

Then enlighten me, because I crunch the numbers and this story is garbage.

Also the motives involved, on the one hand Suthep is blocking bank loans to farmers and spoiling bond sales from the government, and the next minute he's trying to cosy up to farmers and pretend to encourage bank loans.

One minute their vote is 'not quality/worthless' and the next he's cuddling them in a show of support!

Address the issue directly please. half factual non-sequitur responses seem to be the default debate strategy for you Reds

[BlueNoseCodger]

BlueNoseCodger ?? More like BlueNoseTroughEater.

Read the article again with clear Glasses on.

Your here less than a Month and you know better

Have a

BT

The farmers are not fooled either.

The sign says (paraphrased) "Suthep do not use the farmers voice to back your case".

The signs here say "Singburi farmers, ask Suthep, stop blocking the bank", "Pigit farmers, beg Suthep do not hurt the farmers" etc.

Yellow faded sign (in the lower picture) puts it more bluntly, "[Word similar to Chav] Suthep, you call the farmers Buffaloes, and you try to borrow farmer to join mob, why don't you [offensive remark]".

Edited February 14, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[BlueNoseCodger]

To sum up.

Suthep called for farmers to come out and support the PDRC, and instead they've come out against the PDRC.

So we officially now have PDRC protests drawns in negative numbers!

Suthep calls for a protest and more anti-Suthep protestors come out than pro-Suthep protestors!

[seajae]

@BlueNoseCodger

There's none so blind as them as won't see

Then enlighten me, because I crunch the numbers and this story is garbage.

Also the motives involved, on the one hand Suthep is blocking bank loans to farmers and spoiling bond sales from the government, and the next minute he's trying to cosy up to farmers and pretend to encourage bank loans.

One minute their vote is 'not quality/worthless' and the next he's cuddling them in a show of support!

you crunch the numbers and use bullsh*t figures and innuendo, you biased one sided garbage is nothing but fantasy. If this scheme was above board why cant the ptp even give up to date figures on any of it, why cant they say how much rice has been stored/rotted/sold, why cant they tell us how much money has been lost on it or even where it has gone. All you are quoting is crap and nothing to do with any of it, you simply avoid telling the truth and try to use lies and innuendo, the brown rings on your ankles are really showing up now.

Edited February 14, 2014 by seajae

[seajae]

BlueNoseCodger ?? More like BlueNoseTroughEater.

Read the article again with clear Glasses on.

Your here less than a Month and you know better

Have a

BT

The farmers are not fooled either.

The sign says (paraphrased) "Suthep do not use the farmers voice to back your case".

farmers-not-fooled.jpg

The signs here say "Singburi farmers, ask Suthep, stop blocking the bank", "Pigit farmers, beg Suthep do not hurt the farmers" etc.

Yellow faded sign (in the lower picture) puts it more bluntly, "[Word similar to Chav] Suthep, you call the farmers Buffaloes, and you try to borrow farmer to join mob, why don't you [offensive remark]".

you do realize this is only according to you and that these are reds and have been fed red bullsh*t stories, why is it the papers are saying the farmers are attacking yl/ptp and joining in the protests,yout ops are so totally fake and full of garbage, you dont even say where or when it was supposed to have happened, mate get a life

[BlueNoseCodger]

@BlueNoseCodger

There's none so blind as them as won't see

Then enlighten me, because I crunch the numbers and this story is garbage.

Also the motives involved, on the one hand Suthep is blocking bank loans to farmers and spoiling bond sales from the government, and the next minute he's trying to cosy up to farmers and pretend to encourage bank loans.

One minute their vote is 'not quality/worthless' and the next he's cuddling them in a show of support!

you crunch the numbers and use bullsh*t figures and innuendo, you biased one sided garbage is nothing but fantasy. If this scheme was above board why cant the ptp even give up to date figyures on any of it, why cant they say how much rice has been stored/rotted/sold, why cant they tell us how much money has been lost on iot or even where it has gone. All you are quoting is crap and nothing to do with any of it, you simply avoid telling the truth and try to use lies and innuendo, the brown rings on your ankles are really showing up now.

Thailand current GDP $645 billion came from CIA factbook, this link

Thailand 1997 GDP, $150 billion came from Wikipedia, "GDP at current prices USD billions... 150.891).

From the article "The Yingluck government earmarked Bt500 billion (US$16 billion-$17 billion) for the rice scheme." 16/645 = 2.48% rounded up to 2.5% of GDP

From the article "Thailand produces about 20 million tonnes of rice a year", 3500 tonnes of rice missing accusation came from here.

My allegation that the Democrats scheme was easier to corrupt is based on the fact their scheme is a subsidy, which doesn't itself cause a transfer of physical goods. i.e. any irregularities in PT's scheme can be detected by a stock check.

The 14th Novermber bond failed and that was likely caused by Sutheps attempt to overthrow the government starting 3rd November.

[Habs]

Me thinks your full of Shi_............... ----------------------

@BlueNoseCodger

There's none so blind as them as won't see

Then enlighten me, because I crunch the numbers and this story is garbage.

Also the motives involved, on the one hand Suthep is blocking bank loans to farmers and spoiling bond sales from the government, and the next minute he's trying to cosy up to farmers and pretend to encourage bank loans.

One minute their vote is 'not quality/worthless' and the next he's cuddling them in a show of support!

you crunch the numbers and use bullsh*t figures and innuendo, you biased one sided garbage is nothing but fantasy. If this scheme was above board why cant the ptp even give up to date figyures on any of it, why cant they say how much rice has been stored/rotted/sold, why cant they tell us how much money has been lost on iot or even where it has gone. All you are quoting is crap and nothing to do with any of it, you simply avoid telling the truth and try to use lies and innuendo, the brown rings on your ankles are really showing up now.

Thailand current GDP $645 billion came from CIA factbook, this link

Thailand 1997 GDP, $150 billion came from Wikipedia, "GDP at current prices USD billions... 150.891).

From the article "The Yingluck government earmarked Bt500 billion (US$16 billion-$17 billion) for the rice scheme." 16/645 = 2.48% rounded up to 2.5% of GDP

From the article "Thailand produces about 20 million tonnes of rice a year", 3500 tonnes of rice missing accusation came from here.

My allegation that the Democrats scheme was easier to corrupt is based on the fact their scheme is a subsidy, which doesn't itself cause a transfer of physical goods. i.e. any irregularities in PT's scheme can be detected by a stock check.

The 14th Novermber bond failed and that was likely caused by Sutheps attempt to overthrow the government starting 3rd November.