NACC to watch over farmers’ purchase of pesticides, fertilisers via digital wallet

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

THE NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION Commission (NACC) will keep a close watch on the implementation of the Pheu Thai-initiated digital wallet project involving the anticipated purchase of pesticides and fertilisers by recipient farmers.

NACC Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said today (May 3) the anti-graft agency will see to it that no conspiracy over the sales of pesticides and fertilisers might be illegally carried out to raise undue gains for any traders dealing in those products which many farmers may purchase under the 10,000-baht populist handout campaign.

For instance, Niwatchai said, farmers should be free to shop for any brand of pesticides or fertilisers of their choice and not be practically compelled to buy any specific ones via their digital wallet.

Nevertheless, the NACC chief said, it remains to be finally concluded as to whether the Pheu Thai-led government may be legally allowed to implement the digital wallet project with partial use of 172.3 billion baht in “borrowed” cash from the Bank for Agriculture & Agricultural Cooperatives (BACC).

That is part of a total of 500 billion baht in funding for the populist handout campaign scheduled to get started in the fourth quarter of this year, beginning upcoming October.

Given BAAC’s 172.3 billion baht portion, the balance amounting to a sum of 175 billion baht and the other 152.7 billion baht will come from the government budget for current fiscal year and next fiscal year respectively.

The NACC chief said clarity is yet being sought over the “borrowed” BAAC money and blockchain technology for use with the digital wallet project in addition to anticipated transparency in the implementation process.

Undersecretary for Finance Lavaron Sangsanit has earlier said an estimated 17 million farmers nationwide will be eligible to the 10,000-baht handout campaign, part of which will be financed by BAAC.

Each of some 50 million Thai nationals aged 16 years or over may buy a maximum of 10,000 baht worth of goods via their digital wallet at grocery stores, food shops and restaurants in the boundaries of their home district within a six-month period.

CAPTION:

Top: A representative image of a farmer fertilising a plant, above, and another farmer showing a handful of fertiliser. Both photos: Thai Rath

Insert: NACC Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol. Photo: Thai Rath

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