November 23rd, 2006, 20:50
I just wonder, how many of the 'bad' loans the farmers must sell their land off to pay back are a result of the deposed regime's 'populist' vote-buying policies.
Surayud to suspend auctioning off farmers' lands
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont Wednesday promised to suspend any move that will see indebted farmers' lands being auctioned off by mortgage-holding government agencies or state enterprises.
Currently, 330,000 indebted farmers are on the verge of losing their land through mortgage loans.
Independent academic Somkiat Pongpaiboon said if the Farmer Rehabilitation and Development Fund was assigned to buy these debts from moneylenders, it would take about Bt6billion.
Surayud, however, explained that the immediate action that his government would be able to do was to suspend the impending land-auctions by government agencies or state enterprises.
"In the meantime, we will continue to look for ways to help the farmers," he said. He admitted that it was a shock to learn that more than 38 million rai of farmers' land had been mortgaged.
Surayud was speaking after more than 50 small-scale farmers from 15 provinces called on Surayud to air their complaint. He spent an hour discussing on possible solutions with the farmers' representatives.
The Nation
Surayud to suspend auctioning off farmers' lands
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont Wednesday promised to suspend any move that will see indebted farmers' lands being auctioned off by mortgage-holding government agencies or state enterprises.
Currently, 330,000 indebted farmers are on the verge of losing their land through mortgage loans.
Independent academic Somkiat Pongpaiboon said if the Farmer Rehabilitation and Development Fund was assigned to buy these debts from moneylenders, it would take about Bt6billion.
Surayud, however, explained that the immediate action that his government would be able to do was to suspend the impending land-auctions by government agencies or state enterprises.
"In the meantime, we will continue to look for ways to help the farmers," he said. He admitted that it was a shock to learn that more than 38 million rai of farmers' land had been mortgaged.
Surayud was speaking after more than 50 small-scale farmers from 15 provinces called on Surayud to air their complaint. He spent an hour discussing on possible solutions with the farmers' representatives.
The Nation