Pension Network lodges complaint over failure to launch savings plan

Yesterday, the group lodged a complaint at the Central Administrative Court against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong.
“The government’s failure to introduce the NSF programme has adversely affected more than 12 million people,” the network’s chairwoman Arunee Srito said.
The NSF Act, which paves the way for the savings fund programme, was introduced in 2011.
Under this act, Thais aged between 15 and 60 years old can participate in the NSF programme, although their savings amount is limited to no more than Bt13,200 a year. The government will provide contributions to their savings but that is also limited – at no more than Bt1,200 a year.
Contributions from the government vary depending on people’s savings amount and their age. Participants in the NSF must not be members of the social security scheme.
“The NSF programme is very important to poor people,” Arunee said. “They need the pension to support themselves when they get old. The monthly subsidy provided by the government is too little.”
According to the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, 42 per cent of elderly people in Thailand do not have enough money to live on.
Arunee said her network may lodge a criminal complaint against the government on grounds it has failed to do its duty, if it continues to ignore her network’s call to implement the NSF scheme.
She said she had complained to the government many times. She also met the finance minister twice to raise the issue.
“But clearly, Kittiratt has removed the NSF programme from 2014 budget allocation planning,” she said.
The Interior Ministry’s 2011 household registration records show there are 7.8 million Thais aged over 60.