The government may need to rejig its financial assistance policies involving low-income earners, farmers, employees, self-employed workers, micro-businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises, as many of them still fail to obtain the government's financial packages and other assistance, says the chief of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EEC Office).
According to Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office, previous and existing state measures are yet to be effective enough and have yet to be able to compensate low-income earners, farmers, employees, self-employed workers, community businesses and SMEs for losses of around 1.76 trillion baht in 2020 and 2021.
"Thailand's economic recovery is in an uneven K-shape. Currently, only large-scale businesses and the export sector are recovering, while the majority of people including low-income earners, farmers, SMEs and micro SMEs still struggle and are far from recovered," said Mr Kanit. "Some 60% of the population is believed to have used up their savings, with many relying on loan sharks."
