Thai government supports skill development of workers

BANGKOK, May 29 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Labour, is setting up a skill development fund and providing soft loans to employers to be used for the skill development of their workers, starting from June 1, 2017. Teerapol Khunmuang, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Skill Development, told journalists of the update on May 28, noting that the two new measures, in which employers are encouraged to participate, are in accordance with a revised skill development bill. Teerapol explained that the new measures, which are also in line with urgent reform agenda geared by Thai Labour Minister General Sirichai Distakul, are aimed to efficiently upgrade skills of local workers to cope with the world's constantly changing situation with more advanced technologies and with the government's Thailand 4.0 policy. Under the new measures, Teerapol said, employers who spend on the skill development of their workers, through training programs organized by his department, will enjoy a tax break, or a reduced tax or other subsidies as official incentives. According to the senior official, employers who support their workers' skill training can seek an official subsidy of 1,000 baht per head of their workers, but must not exceed 100,000 baht totally a year. Besides, employers who launch their own training programs for workers will receive a subsidy of 10,000 baht per area of occupational skill. The senior official revealed that his department will also offer a new interest-free soft loan for one year for employers to support the skill development of their workers, on top of an earlier soft loan of one million baht at the maximum with a low interest rate of 3 per cent annually for each employer to be used for funding their workers'skill training. "Employers or business firms are, thus, welcome to seek for official support under the new measures at the Ministry of Labour's skill development offices nationwide", announced the senior Thai official. (TNA)