BANGKOK: The government is pushing to raise the monthly allowance for all citizens aged over 60 to 1,000 baht (US$30) per month, secretary to the prime minister Somkid Cheukong said on Friday (Feb 21).
Currently, the senior allowance increases according to age – 600 baht for those aged 60-69, 700 baht for 70-79, 800 baht for 80-89, and 1,000 baht for those over 90.
Somkid also denied claims by opposition MPs that the government had rejected three draft bills aimed at increasing subsidies and benefits for senior citizens.
“In reality, these bills are all about finance and are based on election promises,” he said.
“The government forwarded them to relevant agencies, which ruled that they are unachievable.”
Somkid gave as an example the public pension scheme draft bill, which promised 3,000 baht per month for all retirees, saying this would require a budget of 400 billion baht-plus, which the government cannot afford. - The Nation/ANN
