Thai Government’s Digital Wallet Stimulus Plan Under Scrutiny
Has the Thai government’s plan to deposit money in citizens’ digital wallets received approval from the legal adviser? Depends on whom you’re asking.
The confusion began on Sunday. According to The Nation, the Council of State has given its opinion on the government’s scheme. It was against the legislation to distribute 500 billion baht ($14.3 billion) to all above the age of 16 via a digital wallet scheme.
The source said that enacting a bill to borrow this money in order to deal with an urgent economic situation, as the government calls it, would be self-contradictory.
The Council of State allegedly said that,
“If the situation were urgent, the government should enact an executive decree like previous administrations had done instead of enacting a bill that would take months to implement.”
The report will not be released to the public, said the Council. However, the government could disclose the opinion.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat contradicted these reports on Monday.
Per the Bangkok Post, he claimed that the legal adviser gave the green light for Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s controversial stimulus program.
The Council argued that the government has the power to enact the bill for the cash stimulus scheme, he said.
On Tuesday, The Nation cited Julapun stating that the plan would start in May.
The Finance Ministry would report the Council’s opinion to the Cabinet on Tuesday, he said. The committee in charge of implementing the plan would hold a meeting within a week to determine the timeline.
Per Julapun,
“We’re confident we will go ahead with the scheme. I expect it will kick off on May 1.”
Notably, the Council of State advises the administration on legal matters. Its opinions are not binding, but the
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