Second phase of welfare measures head for Cabinet
THE MINISTRY of Finance will propose the second phase of the state welfare measures to the Cabinet in its January-3 meeting as a New Year gift for 5.3 million registered low-income earners.
Somchai Sujjapongse, finance permanent-secretary, said that the second-phase state welfare measures will be forwarded to the Cabinet meeting on January 3 next year for 5.3 million people who are under the poverty line.
The state welfare measures is a part of the government's attempt to help them to escape the poverty with per capital income of more than Bt30,000 per year within next year, he said. A map for sustainable living will also arranged.
The second-phase state welfare measures, in collaboration with related ministries including Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Development and Human Society, will assist the first group of the poor the ministry closely follows up, he said.
This group is expected to have jobs, good education, proper training, become entrepreneurs or employees, go for overseas jobs and own residences or be able to pay rent for residences, he said.
This is apart to improve their quality of living and also move from lower-income to be middle income in the next three or five years from the year 2018, he said.
The key performance indicators (KPIs) for these state welfare measures are clearly defined with direction for the low-income earners to escape the poverty within next year, he said.
Somchai insisted that in the second-phase state welfare measures, officials will be dispatched to conduct field surveys and if those who are not able to make self improvement, the officials will take them to the social welfare system.
For example, disabled persons or ageing people who cannot work do not receive state welfare and are not in the group of the 5.3 million registered low-income earners.
