Ministry to discuss funding for rice-pledging scheme
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The Commerce Ministry will soon convene a meeting of its subcommittee on working capital to discuss its budget for the 2013-2014 rice-pledging programme, as the government has not approved additional funds for the project.
Commerce permanent secretary Vatcharee Vimuktayon expected the budget for the scheme to be close to the Bt200 billion allocated in 2012-2013.
“The Cabinet has not approved additional funds for rice pledging. Only Bt410 billion has been provided, as approved early in the 2012-2013 season, as working capital for the rice-pledging scheme,” she said.
“The subcommittee will have to find funds for future seasons from sales of rice from the government stockpile and from the reserves of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.”
The Nation
