Government’s digital wallet scheme delayed amid sustainability concerns

A seven-month delay is set to affect the government’s digital wallet scheme, with the expected launch now projected around September of next year, according to an adviser to the prime minister. Pichai Chunhavajira, while addressing a Senate-organised forum on the scheme, voiced that the policy is a vital economic stimulant but doubted its implementation in February as initially planned.

The delay, according to Pichai, is due to revisions to the scope of the policy after receiving wide-range concerns, which are now estimated to benefit around 40 million people.

The digital wallet scheme, funded by the annual budget, will likely see changes to the 4-kilometre spending limit, expanding it to cover a full district for evenly disbursing the funds. Pichai also pointed out the potential use of the Pao Tang application for the scheme, considering it less time-consuming than developing a new application.

However, not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for the scheme. Former Deputy Finance Minister Pisit Lee-atham voiced his concerns at the forum, claiming that the scheme is unsustainable. He suggested that the funds would be better spent on development projects to enhance people’s productivity.

Pisit urged that the government should focus more on reducing costs and boosting people’s production capacity rather than hoping for sustainable growth through cash handouts.

Highlighting the need for fiscal discipline, Pisit advised the government to heed the Budget Bureau’s advice to avoid any potential breach during the scheme’s implementation.

Echoing his concerns, Ongart Khlampaiboon, the acting deputy leader of the Democrat Party, criticised the government’s struggles in securing the funds for the scheme. In a Facebook post, he accused the ruling Pheu Thai Party of not thoroughly considering the policy and urged the prime minister to clarify the source of the funding for the scheme.

The digital wallet scheme faced a recommendation to limit the handout based on income or savings criteria from a sub-committee overseeing the project last week.

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