Civil servants urged to take govt housing
The government plans to reduce its rent subsidy budget for more than 1.7 million civil servants by encouraging them to reside in state-owned property rather than private-sector accommodation.
More than Bt23 billion is spent in subsidies each year for civil servants in need of lodging. This sum was due to increase in the next fiscal year as the government had agreed to include an additional 226,301 non-permanent employees in the rent subsidy scheme. Under the current rules, government officials who qualify for accommodation subsidies include those newly enlisted in the civil service, those working away from their home provinces and those having difficulty finding a place to live. The Cabinet will today consider a proposed regulation to allow more civil servants (who qualify for the subsidy) to move into state property owned by either the agency to which they are assigned or other agencies located nearby. The Finance Ministry will submit a new subsidy scale and a new version of the 2004 rental subsidy bill to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Piyanart Srivalo The Nation
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