Pheu Thai confident digital wallet bill will pass final House readings

Pheu Thai Party expresses confidence that its supplementary bill, designed to fund the flagship digital wallet handout scheme, will pass the House’s second and third readings tomorrow.

A Pheu Thai MP-list and chief government whip, Wisut Chainaroon, asserted that the bill will pass due to the digital wallet scheme igniting new hope among the public.

The final deliberation of the bill is expected to conclude within four hours, with only 20 MPs having posed questions about the scheme’s budget, according to Wisut.

Seeking an increase of 122 billion baht for the current fiscal year’s budget, the bill successfully passed its first reading in the House of Representatives on July 17.

A Pheu Thai MP for Udon Thani and spokesperson for the committee, Thirachai Saenkaew, studying the supplementary bill stated that the panel reviewed the bill three times and is prepared to address all parliamentary questions.

“We invited various agencies to provide information. We have confirmed the digital wallet project covers all groups of people, including those who do not have smartphones. The application will be ready for the project when it is launched.”

Budget Bureau

Addressing concerns from opposition parties regarding the 2024 budget’s applicability to 2025, Thirachai noted that the Budget Bureau confirmed the 2024 budget could be extended into the next year.

He expressed confidence that the bill’s second and third readings would proceed as smoothly as the first.

A source disclosed that although the scrutiny committee agreed with the bill in principle, it raised several points for the government to consider.

The government should specify in the project’s terms of reference that it will collect users’ spending data to monitor the economic impact of the stimulus scheme.

The panel recommended that the government distinguish between investment expenditures and regular expenditures. It also suggested that the Budget Bureau provide a detailed definition of investment expenditure to ensure clarity.

Additionally, the committee advised creating a clear list of prohibited items or services that cannot be purchased with the handout money.

The Trade Competition Commission should be involved in providing advice and evaluating the project’s impact on the retail and wholesale markets, the source indicated.

The government must establish penalties for those who violate the project’s rules and create a unit or channel for the public to file complaints or seek assistance regarding wrongdoers, the source added.

Furthermore, the Personal Data Protection Committee and the Office of the Personal Data Protection Committee should participate in the project to ensure data protection compliance, reported Bangkok Post.