Spend new loan wiselyThe government's plan to borrow additional funds to cover its Covid-19 mitigation and relief programmes seems to be drawing more criticism with each passing day. While the former finance minister conceded that the loan is necessary, he said the drafting of the executive decree was done behind closed doors without transparency. Without transparency and a good monitoring system, the public won't get to feel the full benefit from this 700-billion-baht loan. Just a few days earlier, former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij also warned the government to prioritise its spending. The loan is expected to help prop up the Thai economy until the later part of this year, when the country achieves herd immunity, so the government needs to spend it wisely.

Source: Bangkok Post May 24, 2021 23:15 UTC