Published on July 16, 2005

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday promised to “entrust” his latest brainchild – the “Small Medium Large (SML)” village-fund scheme – to every community in the country.

Speaking in a televised ceremony to launch the project at Government House, Thaksin answered questions from the audience and from representatives of people participating in the project via a teleconference link-up and phone calls.

The event attracted 350 people, including a group of villagers who voiced their concerns about the future of the project, which allocates funds to village and communities to spend on money-making projects.

The pilot phase of the scheme started earlier this year in seven villages and communities in Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Chachoengsao, Nong Khai and Tak provinces.

A resident of one of the selected villages asked Thaksin to promise that the SML project would run beyond this year.

The villagers also responded to inquiries about their products from the audience.

Vice ministers were assigned to help answer phone calls about the SML project and its products.

The session began at 6pm and ended at 7.30pm but phones calls continued coming in until 8pm.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

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