Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat admitted for the first time today that the launch of the digital wallet scheme, which was set for May, will be delayed. He vowed, nonetheless, that the government will proceed with the project.

Julapun had repeatedly insisted that the scheme, which was at the heart of his Pheu Thai party’s election campaign, would be able to start in May as promised.

The government wants to consider all information carefully, especially the Council of State’s legal opinion on the government’s plan to issue a bill to authorise the borrowing of Bt500 billion to fund the scheme, Julapun said.

“The government has asked the Council of State about the bill and it has provided legal observation, but not a “yes” or a “no”, because it is not its duty to grant an authority. As such, the national digital wallet panel has the duty to listen to the advice and choose whether to follow it,” he said.

Pakorn Nilpraphan, secretary general of the council, earlier confirmed that his office had provided the government with legal observations which, if strictly followed, could avoid problems with the loan bill. The Finance Ministry will, however, have to explain in what way the country’s economy is in crisis, a requirement for the issuance of a loan bill.

The government can choose to issue a bill or an executive decree, he said, adding that the council’s observations are just a legal opinion and not an approval for the government to go ahead.

Julapun told reporters that, after this, the panel he chairs will wait for official recommendations from the National Anti-Corruption Committee (NACC) before meeting to discuss all the opinions.

Yesterday, the media published what was believed to be the recommendations of an NACC subcommittee, assigned to comment on the scheme. They reportedly voiced disagreement with the scheme, stating that it would put the country at risk in various ways.

NACC Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol neither denied nor confirmed the information, saying that it may be from an NACC subcommittee which has not yet received approval from the NACC board.