In the letter, literally marked “urgent” and signed and dispatched yesterday (Sept 27), Governor Narong explained that he had received complaints over the financial support being provided to those in the 29 provinces designated ‘red’ or ‘dark red’ zones, where COVID prevention measures are designated as “maximum control”, who have been left without work or unable to open their businesses.
The complaints stemmed from business owners and workers in Phuket being left in the same position, due to the lack of tourists, leaving many people out of work, the governor continued.
“Phuket Province [the provincial government] received complaints from people who are insured under Section 33, Section 35 and Section 40 [of the Social Security Act] who are domiciled and reside in Phuket that they were not being helped by aid measures,” Governor Narong pointed out.
“Phuket Province [the provincial government] would like to inform you that since the outbreak of the COVID-19, the people of Phuket have suffered a lot,” he said.
“When the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic caused tourism to halt, the effect on the incomes of the people was very high. In 2019, the people of Phuket province had a per capita income of B403,534 per person / year [about B33,00 per month], but when the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic came, the income obtained from tourism decreased greatly.
The average per capita income had plunged to “only B1,963 per person/month, causing many people in Phuket to become acutely poor,” he added.
“They have suffered a lot, and from the Cabinet’s resolution to pay compensation to those insured [under the Social Security Act] in the dark red areas and the areas under maximum control, under Section 33, Section 39 and Section 40, whereby the government will provide a living allowance of B5,000 per person, but not for those in Phuket,” he said.
“Phuket Province would like to inform you that although the government has announced a policy for Phuket Province to be a Phuket Sandbox, Phuket Province still has a large number of people who are suffering who are insured under Section 33, Section 39 and Section 40,” Governor Narong noted.
“There are 106,859 people insured under Section 33, 41,869 people insured under Section 39 and 37,368 people insured under Section 40, totaling 186,096 people,” Governor Narong pointed out.
“Therefore, if they receive assistance of B5,000 each that would be a total amount of B900,480,000,” he said.
“If we can get help from the insurer’s compensation fund [Social Security Fund], it can help relieve the suffering of the people in Phuket very much. We will be very grateful,” he wrote.