Bangkok Post : Kittiratt: No shortage of essentials

Kittiratt: No shortage of essentials

Producers of essential commodities have affirmed they have enough products on hand to supply consumers in flood-affected areas, Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranonga said after a meeting with their representatives on Friday.

People in flooded areas will have enough bottled drinking water, dairy products, pork and chicken meat, and eggs for their needs. Producers of those commodities in provinces unaffected by the flood can probvide and adequate supply of those goods.

They will also speed up deliveries to flood-affected areas and said they will not raise prices, said Mr Kittiratt.

Mr Kittiratt suggested people should refuse to buy eggs which are sold at inflated prices. Some retailers were selling eggs at 8 baht each. People should buy other food items instead.

Bank of Thailand governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul said the BoT has enough cash on hand to meet current demand for three months.

The BoT's banknote mint off Phutthamonthon Sai 7 Road is still operational, he added.

The amount of cash circulating in the Thai economy by is about 1.2 trillion baht. Since the beginning of the flood crisis, people have drawn out about 22 billion baht cash a day from commercial banks.

Prior to the flood, daily cash withdrawals were about 6 billion baht a day from commercial banks.

The daily demand for cash has increased almost four-fold, said Mr Prasarn.