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![]() December 2017 : Government’s New Year Gifts
Government’s New Year gifts On 26th December, the cabinet meeting acknowledged 85 projects as New Year gifts providing to Thai people in all categories, low income, agriculturers, health-concerns, children elderly, disables, and under-privileges. The projects address all means of living; transportation, tourism, tax, telecommunication, information technology, merchandising, religious, living, filing complaints, financial etc. Tax incentives to boost tourism in low-tourism areas. Free high speed internet for low income households in remote rural. More Pracharat Market for trading. Free 10 Hot Lines for filing complaints. Low interest rates loans for SMEs and agriculturers. Refunding 30 percent of interest paid to good creditors of Agricultural and Cooperative Banks. 1,000 baht cash refund to regular payment debtors in Government Housing Bank. 2.5% interest rate housing loans for state officers and low income group in the 3 southern provinces. Extension of low interest rates period in public pawn shops. Pracharat Market for agricultural products and first-time traders. Promoting high quality agricultural products as New Year gifts. Special logistic rates for agricultural products. Cash and gift vouchers for the -youth-elderly-disable-underprivileged. Financial aids to 65 newborns in every province. House visit and gifts for the elderly of 100 years plus. 200 DEPA Literacy Voucher of 10,000 baht for the disables. 4 new centers for the handicapped. One Day Surgery program to speed up medical treatment. RDU mobile application to provide on line medical information. Remediation measures on land utilization approved On 26th December, the cabinet mobile meeting resolved on remediation measures to solve land problems for 3 households residing in the forest conservation areas. They are among those 2,600 relocated due to the establishment of coal mining in Mae Moh district Lumpang province. Two of them, currently residing in the forest conservation, shall be relocated to new area and subsidize with 5 million baht each as relocating cost. Another one, partially overlapping in the forest area, shall be moved further. NLA passed Anti-Corruption organic act On 25th the National Legislative Assembly, chaired by Mr. Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, voted with 197 to 1 and 7 abstentions, on third round to pass the Anti-Corruption organic bill. The Bill will be forwarded to National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Constitution Drafting Committee to consider whether the revisions constitutionally or not. A tri-party, NLA, NACC and CDC could be set up to reconsider the Bill before enactment. Emergency Act in 3 southern provinces extended On 15th December the Emergency Situation Administration Board, chaired by Gen. Pravit Wongsuwan deputy Prime minister and Defense Minister, resolved to extend the Emergency Act currently applies in the three southern provinces Narathiwas, Yala and Pattani, excludes Mae Lan district, for another three months, from 20 December 2017 to 19 March 2018. This is the 50th extension since firstly applied to keep order and safeguard security in those troublesome areas. Measures to boost tourism in 55 provinces On 26th December, the cabinet resolved on tax exemption measures in 55 provinces, effective from 1st January to 31st December 2018. Expenditures on tourism; accommodation, meals, tour, package tour, either in formal or informal tax invoice/receipt, at maximum 15,000 baht per annual, can be presented when filing tax exemption. The 55 provinces are low-tourism destinations subjective to economic promotion. 489 NGV buses bidding approved On 18th December, the Bangkok Metropolitan Mass Transit board resolved to endorse the bidding tender of 4,020 million baht for 489 NGV buses proposed by the SCN-CHO group. The first 100 units will be handed over within 90 days after contract signs, approximately in March 2018 and the rest within 180 days. 2018 inflation estimated 1-4 percent On 19th December, the cabinet resolved on the 2018 fiscal policy targeting average inflation rate 2.5%, plus 2.5% minus 1.5%, or ranging between 1-4 percent. The numbers are similar to previous year, 2017. 3 BB to provide free internet for rural low income group The National Commission for Peace and Order (NCPO) has made a policy to launch free-internet project in 3,920 rural villages, covering 607,000 households. However, only 520,000 households, equivalent to 86 percent, already registered as low income households are entitle to free service for a period of three years upon application. Project commencement is in July 2018 and expecting to be ready for service in August. Max. 5 months bonus for state enterprise affiliates On 4th December, the cabinet resolved on principles of maximum 5 months bonus for board members, staffs and employees of state enterprise affiliates on conditions of compliance to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) standards. Currently 23 state enterprises have 158 affiliations and 117 are registered with SET which aligns to the criteria. Among the rest 41, only 9 are fit to the standards, annual profit not exceed than 100 million baht. EU resumed political contacts On 11th December, the European Union Council on Thailand adopted new conclusions as follow:
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