Government proceeds with its welfare card project

Bangkok, Sept 25 – The government is installing welfare card readers at about 5,000 shops and on 800 buses to improve the living conditions of low-income earners. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said electronic data capture (EDC) machines were installed at 3,000 “blue-flag” shops nationwide and the number would increase to 5,700 shops in early October. For the areas where such devices have not been installed, the Commerce Ministry will deploy mobile shops with such card readers to serve card users. Lt Gen Sansern said that the card readers were installed on 200 buses of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and up to 800 buses of the state enterprise would be equipped with the devices. Users will only place their welfare cards on the readers when they board the buses with green stickers informing commuters of the equipment. About 1.3 million registered poor people in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon will receive electronic welfare cards on Oct 17 as the government is inputting holders’ information into the integrated ticket system of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning. “To compensate for the delay, the government will transfer unpaid subsidies in October to November’s accounts,” the government spokesman said. Welfare cards were parts of short-term assistance for people and the government also had vocational promotion projects to help the poor in the long run, he said.