BANGKOK, 25 October 2016 (NNT) – The Cabinet has approved a budget of over 18 billion baht to be allocated to tens of thousands of villages nationwide in the 2017 fiscal year for local development purposes.

Government Spokesperson Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkumnerd announced that the Cabinet has given the green light to a project to enhance the grassroots economy through the allocation of subsidies for raising the potential of villages in line with the government’s Pracharat policy. The total budget is set at 18.66 billion baht, which is to be disbursed from the 2017 central budget to around 74,655 villages across the country at the rate of 250,000 baht each. The project will commence in November 2016 and end in January 2017.

The Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior has been given the responsibility of overseeing the village enhancement project and setting up district-level committees to consider proposals for local development projects and their budgets. The district chief, village headmen and local administrators in each area are to be told to work with the committee in a bid to ensure prompt completion of all projects. The department will have to compile a report on the progress and obstacles in each project for submission to the Cabinet every month.

This new village enhancement project is an extension to the 2016 edition, which came to an end on August 29 this year and provided development funds for nearly 75,000 villages.

National News Bureau Of Thailand | Cabinet sets aside over THB18bn of new funding for villages