Scholarship programme relaunched

Running for three years, the programme has been renamed from the previous for rural development scholarship scheme. The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a committee to oversee the programme, having the Education Minister as chairman and 24 representatives from related agencies as directors. The committee would set the programme's priorities in line with the government's polices and ensure fairness in the selection of candidates as well as monitor their results.

Under the programme, 926 scholarships will be handed out in 2009. Eligible for the scholarships are students whose family income is less than Bt150,000 per annum. They will receive scholarships to finish bachelors' degrees at local and overseas universities. Target overseas universities are in countries where English is not the official language, so that the students could learn other languages. They would attend language schools before enrolment in the universities.

The Education Ministry expected the selection and preparation process would cost Bt147 billion in the 2009 fiscal year, aside from expenses of Bt5.46 billion. It proposed that parts of the proceeds from the 2- and 3-digit lotteries would be used for this purpose.

The Cabinet however resolved that the ministry use its own budget for this programme.

The Cabinet also approved a plan to print a charity lottery worth Bt638.6 million, to finance the "Miracle of Life" programme as suggested by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

The lottery would be issued in 15 lots, with 4 million copies in each lot. The Government Lottery Office would be in charge of the distribution and rewards payouts.

Meanwhile, Pranai Suwannarat, director of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, said yesterday that the government should provide tax incentives to manufacturers to facilitate their further operation.

However, the privileges should focus on businesses that establish in special economic zones in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Satun and four amphurs in Songkhla - Jana, Thepa, Natawee and Sabayoi.

The incentive should focus on both tax and surcharge reductions for personnel income, corporations and transactions of property. For instance, personnel income tax should be subject to 0.1 per cent of taxable income and corporations should be charged 3 per cent. In addition, the surcharge for property transactions should be reduced from 3 per cent to 0.01 per cent.