Bangkok, 14 Aug- Deputy Government Spokesperson clarify the new criteria The old “Elderly Living Allowance” is still available. As for the new ones, they must be those who have no income or have insufficient income for their living. to create long-term fiscal sustainability
Today (August 14, 2023), Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, revealed that According to the Ministry of Interior has revised the criteria for paying old age allowances of local government organizations. Giving and was announced in the Royal Gazette on August 11, 2023, which has additional main content, namely being a person without income or having insufficient income for living According to the National Committee on the Elderly According to the Act on Elderly Persons, therefore, a detailed regulation from now on must be issued by the National Committee on the Elderly. which the elderly who received the living allowance before the date the regulation came into force will still have the right to receive the old age allowance
The part that says improvement of such criteria It is because the government does not have the ability to raise money Ms. Ratchada clarified that in the past the economy has improved. The government collects more revenue. There is a foreign company trade registration. The request for foreign investment support continued to increase. There are indicators of the ability to earn income. Looking at the revenue collection numbers of the Revenue Department for 7 months of the fiscal year 2023 (October 2022-April 23), collecting revenue 6.5% higher than the previous year, higher than the target according to the budget documents of 107,101 million baht or 11.10%. While overall government revenue collection for the seven months of fiscal 2023 was 7.4% higher than the same period last year and 8.9% higher than the budget document’s target, this is the government’s ability to earn revenue.
As for the issue that has been dramatized Is it a reduction in the human value of Thai citizens or not? Ms. Ratchada said that the government gives importance to all groups of people. Aiming to solve the problems of the people Make the most of your budget under budget constraints Today we enter an aging society. There is a rapid increase in the number of elderly people. and will continue to increase budget from previously set fifty billion per year increase to eight billion and has reached ninety billion in fiscal year 2024, so if reducing the premium payment to specific groups of seniors with high incomes or wealthy seniors because the budget paid may not be necessary It is a fiscal policy aimed at helping those in need and in need, and creating long-term fiscal sustainability. Ask the political party not to look at it as stealing chickens. because there is no need for the government to do so .-Thai News Agency
Source: Thai News Agency