Poor People's Card Fund Funds Crisis: Draws from Energy Loans, Risks Illegality

Post Today•Politics•2d ago

Reader Briefing

The Poor People's Card Fund is facing a significant budget shortfall, prompting a risky move to draw funds from a 400 billion baht energy crisis loan decree, which critics argue is illegal and deviates from the loan's original purpose.

•The Poor People's Card Fund has insufficient budget, leading to a request for 18.8 billion baht from energy crisis loans.
•MP Sirikanya Tansakul criticizes the move as illegal and contrary to the loan decree's focus on energy crisis relief.
•The fund's budget has consistently been insufficient in recent years, requiring supplementary funds.
•A delay in opening the new registration for the welfare card is also noted, with questions raised about its impact on budget allocation.

Overview

•On May 28, 2026, during a House of Representatives meeting, the annual report of the Pracharath Welfare Fund was discussed.
•In 2024, the fund received approximately 50,000 million baht in normal budget and an additional 120,000 million baht from the state welfare card money distribution project.
•The fund's budget for 2024, 2025, and 2026 faced shortfalls, with actual spending exceeding allocations.
•For 2026, the fund requested 69,154 million baht but was only approved for 30,000 million baht, with funds projected to run out by Q2.
•The fund requested an additional 18,800 million baht from the screening committee for the 400,000 million baht energy crisis loan decree due to budget deficits.
•MP Sirikanya Tansakul stated the request for loan funds is legally risky and deviates from the oil crisis loan decree's purpose.
•The fund is facing a 'vicious cycle' of insufficient budget allocation, with no emergency central funds available.
•The opening of the new welfare card registration, due every two years since 2023, has been delayed past its expected 2025 opening.

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Source: Post Today (Original)

Key Quotes

ศิริกัญญา ตันสกุล

"Views it as risk of illegality and not aligned with the purpose of the loan decree, which states it must be used to help with the energy crisis."

มองว่าเสี่ยงผิดกฎหมายและไม่ตรงตามวัตถุประสงค์ของ พ.ร.ก.เงินกู้ฯ ที่ระบุไว้ว่าต้องใช้ช่วยเหลือจากวิกฤตพลังงาน

ศิริกัญญา ตันสกุล

"Reveals that due to the budget deficit, the fund requested 18,800 million baht from the screening committee for the 400,000 million baht loan decree."

เผยว่าจากการขาดงบประมาณดังกล่าว กองทุนฯ จึงได้ส่งคำขอไปยังคณะกรรมการกลั่นกรอง พ.ร.ก.เงินกู้ฯ 400,000 ล้านบาท เพื่อขอเงินเพิ่มอีก 18,800 ล้านบาท

Key Entities

Organization

Poor People's Card Fund(กองทุนบัตรคนจน)

An organization facing budget shortfalls and seeking to draw funds from the energy crisis loan decree.

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

Political party to which MP Sirikanya Tansakul belongs.

Pracharath Welfare Fund for Grassroots Economy and Society(กองทุนประชารัฐสวัสดิการเพื่อเศรษฐกิจฐานรากและสังคม)

The fund whose annual report was discussed, revealing budget challenges.

Person

Sirikanya Tansakul(ศิริกัญญา ตันสกุล)

Member of Parliament for the People's Party who questioned the efficiency of the Poor People's Card Fund's budget and the legality of its funding requests.

Law

400,000 Million Baht Loan Decree(พ.ร.ก.เงินกู้ฯ 400,000 ล้านบาท)

A loan decree enacted to address the energy crisis, from which the Poor People's Card Fund is seeking additional funds.