Over THB500 million spent on first day of Let’s Go Halves phase 4 campaign
The fourth phase of the co-shopping subsidy campaign “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves), which kicked off on Tuesday at 6am, saw spending of more than 500 million baht, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said on Wednesday.
“More than 2.4 million people exercised their rights on the first day of Let’s Go Halves phase 4 thanks to the Chinese New Year festival, while total registrants under phase 4 have been recorded at 16.93 million people,” he said.
“On the first day we saw total spending of 501.24 million baht, 253.43 million of which was spent by registrants and 247.81 million by the government.”
Under the campaign, the government covers 50 per cent of bills for food, drinks and basic necessities of up to 150 baht per day when registrants pay via the Pao Tang application at shops participating in the scheme.
The fourth phase caps a total subsidy at 1,200 baht per person.
Arkhom said shops and restaurants have reportedly seen increasing customers again one month since the third phase ended last year. “However, there are some shops that had registered in previous phases but decided not to join this latest 4th phase,” he said.
“The reason behind this is mostly because the campaign will track their incomes, and businesses that have earned more than 1.8 million baht annually will be taxed.”
The Finance Ministry’s Fiscal Policy Office reported on Tuesday that as of February 1, the three campaigns that the ministry had launched this year to stimulate the economy and promote domestic consumption have generated total spending of more than 1.13 billion baht by 5.44 million users.
The two other campaigns grant funds via the Pao Tang application to holders of state welfare cards and people in vulnerable groups who can make purchases at participating shops.
Precisely 2.89 million state welfare card holders have spent 573.54 million baht, while 147,000 people in vulnerable groups have spent 57.66 million baht.
