Borrowing under Thai Khem Kaeng won’t fuel public debt, says Deputy PM

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankiri on Friday indicated the government’s planned borrowing of significant funds to support  implementation of projects under the Thai Khem Kaeng (Strong Thailand) scheme would not fuel the country’s public debts as some academics criticized.

He said the amount the government planned to borrow would not be as high as Bt800 billion, partly because it earned more tax revenue than forecast.

Mr Trairong said he had monitored various ministries’ plans to disburse the Thai Khem Keng budget and found the amount is not as high as indicated earlier.

Of late, the public health, education, and natural resources and environment ministries had delayed disbursing the budget of which Bt70-80 billion might be cut back.

Asked to comment on a plan by the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the business community to show their disapproval of the ongoing rallies of Red Shirt demonstrators which they see as negatively affecting the Thai economy, the deputy premier said it could be done because it is an expression of individual views which is a right under democratic systems.

“Under democratic rule, everyone can express views if he or she has been affected by actions taken by other persons. What we should be wary of is a possible clash. A resort to violence must not be adopted by any groups of people,” he said. (TNA)