File photo : Move Forward deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul
The adjustments to the digital wallet scheme, as proposed by an ad hoc sub-committee, are an indication that the government is encountering problems in securing the estimated Bt560 billion needed to fund it, Move Forward deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul said today (Thursday).
Even if the scheme is downsized to reach only those who are in need of the benefit, using means testing, the government will still need about Bt430 billion to fund the scheme for 43-49 million beneficiaries, instead of about 55 million as originally planned.
Again, even if the funding needed is cut to 430 billion baht, she said that there won’t be enough money in the national budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which means that the cost will have to be spread across four fiscal years, at about 100 billion baht a year.
The Move Forward party-list MP…
