ID :
130423
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 16:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/130423
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Thai Cabinet extends measures to help low-income earners
BANGKOK, June 29 (TNA) – Thailand’s Cabinet on Tuesday extended measures to lower the cost of living for low-income earners for another six months while pegging prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas vehicle (NGV) fuels beginning in September.
The economic assistance measures include free electricity for households using less than 90 units per month, free transportation on 800 public buses on Bangkok’s 73 routes, and free passage on 172 lines of third-class railway trains on a daily basis.
As the subsidy programme in public utilities expires tomorrow, June 30, the Cabinet moved to extend the measures through the end of December.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved freezing prices of LPG and NGV gas fuels as proposed by the Energy Policy and Planning Committee.
The Cabinet agreed to peg the price of NGV gas at Bt8.5 per kilogramme and the price of LPG gas at Bt18.13 kg for six months, beginning in September this year through February 2011.
In addition, the Cabinet assigned the finance ministry to research possibilities to provide the long-term or permanent economic assistance measures to reduce cost-of-living expenses for low-income earners, instead of revising and extending the programme every three months.
The ministry will consider which forms of assistance will be suitable and will not affect Thailand's state enterprises.
In other developments, the agriculture and commerce ministries and some other officials were instructed to jointly resolve the problem of high cost of hen eggs, and review the status of poultry producers and management to reduce egg prices without negatively impacting farmers. (TNA)
The economic assistance measures include free electricity for households using less than 90 units per month, free transportation on 800 public buses on Bangkok’s 73 routes, and free passage on 172 lines of third-class railway trains on a daily basis.
As the subsidy programme in public utilities expires tomorrow, June 30, the Cabinet moved to extend the measures through the end of December.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved freezing prices of LPG and NGV gas fuels as proposed by the Energy Policy and Planning Committee.
The Cabinet agreed to peg the price of NGV gas at Bt8.5 per kilogramme and the price of LPG gas at Bt18.13 kg for six months, beginning in September this year through February 2011.
In addition, the Cabinet assigned the finance ministry to research possibilities to provide the long-term or permanent economic assistance measures to reduce cost-of-living expenses for low-income earners, instead of revising and extending the programme every three months.
The ministry will consider which forms of assistance will be suitable and will not affect Thailand's state enterprises.
In other developments, the agriculture and commerce ministries and some other officials were instructed to jointly resolve the problem of high cost of hen eggs, and review the status of poultry producers and management to reduce egg prices without negatively impacting farmers. (TNA)
