The Digital Wallet Committee has postponed today’s planned meeting, pending delivery of the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s (NACC) opinion on the scheme, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said today.

The secretary general of the Council of State, Pakorn Nilprapunt, had suggested that the Digital Wallet Committee should also get feedback from the NACC, as well as that of the Council of State.

Last week, the Council of State advised that, if the government plans to issue a bill or executive decree to seek 500 billion baht funding for digital wallet scheme, it must comply with Section 53 of Fiscal Discipline Act, which states that a loan bill can be issued only when there is a crisis or urgent necessity, and Section 57, which states that the money borrowed must be spent on a plan or project which is economically and socially worthwhile.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said today that the committee will comply with the opinions of both the NACC and the Council of State, even though there is not much time left before the planned launch of the scheme in May.

He dismissed a report that the government may scale the scheme down, from 500 billion baht to 300 billion baht.

Asked whether, if the issuance of a loan bill is not possible, the government will issue an executive decree instead, Julapun said it depends on the situation, adding that it is, nonetheless, within the authority of the government to issue an executive decree.