The government has spent 76.8 billion baht on the welfare smartcard scheme for low-income earners over the 14 months through February 2019, says the chief of the Comptroller-General Department.
Most of the spending was for Thong Fah Pracha Rat shops, with the remainder for cooking gas purchases, fares for inter-provincial buses, trains, and public buses in Bangkok, and training course expenses, said Suttirat Rattanachot, director-general of the department.
There are 14.5 million welfare smartcard holders who receive 200-300 baht a month in living allowance.
Those earning less than 30,000 baht a year receive 300 baht a month, while people earning more than 30,000 baht a year but no more than 100,000 baht receive 200 baht a month. Those who attended the job training were given 100-200 baht more per month in monthly living allowance, depending on their actual income.
There were four additional measures to aid low-income earners, with the department giving a one-time cash handout worth 7.15 billion baht to the to group to help with living costs; 247 million baht provided as rent payment for elderly cardholders; 3.18 billion as travel expenses for the elderly; and 147 million to subsidise utility bills.
The department was paid 20 million baht under the value-added tax (VAT) payback scheme for smartcard holders and transferred 3.37 million to smartcard holders' savings accounts at Government Savings Bank. Another 350,000 baht was transferred to their accounts at the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.
The cabinet earlier approved a VAT payback for welfare recipients. The six-month scheme, capped at 500 baht a month, started last November.
Based on the 7% VAT rate, welfare smartcard holders get 5% VAT back for every purchase they make from November 2018 to April 2019 at shops registered under the VAT system.
