Twenty million eligible Thais, the limit for this phase, have joined the government’s co-payment scheme on the first day of registration, which was supposed to last until this Sunday.
Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said today that the overwhelming public response was not beyond expectations and it shows that people have been waiting for a scheme that meets their needs.
According to www.คนละครึ่งพลัส.com, 20 million eligible Thais had registered by 4pm today.
The finance minister said that the response to the scheme by businesses has also been quite impressive, with more than 300,000 entrepreneurs having joined so far, out of the 900,000 target set by the Finance Ministry.
He noted that registration for business operators may not go as smoothly, because of safety systems intended to ensure that scammers are prevented from joining the scheme.
Asked whether a second phase will be launched, Ekniti said the ministry will have to assess the success of this phase first, especially whether the spending by the beneficiaries has met the set targets.
Each beneficiary is supposed to spend 2,000 baht, for those who are not in the tax system, and 2,400 baht, for those in the tax system, by November 11, and the government will match the amount spent, which is aimed at stimulating the economy in the short term.
