Bank announces measures to aid victims of floods in North
The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will write off any family debts of those killed in last week's floods.
Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said the move was among several Finance Ministry measures aimed at helping flood victims. Surapong said the BAAC also plans to extend the repayment deadlines by three years for debtors whose livelihoods were severely affected from the inundation. The period from this year to 2008 will also be interest-free for these debtors. "The BAAC will also offer soft loans in a bid to provide capital needed for their job or quality of life," said Surapong. He said the Government Savings Bank would offer a six-month debt moratorium for all victims, but if the debtors were among the seriously affected, the moratorium would be for one year. Surapong said other banks such as the SME Bank (Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank), the Export Import Bank of Thailand, the Government Housing Bank,Krung Thai Bank and other financial institutions would provide various relief measures for the flood victims. He added that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had instructed relevant authorities to provide urgent assistance to flood victims. Surapong said caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop was now assigned to oversee relief efforts in Phrae, Nan and Lampang, while caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit and caretaker Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin were in charge of relief efforts in Uttaradit and Sukhothai. "The Transport Ministry has been ordered to do repair works carefully and to ensure that roads will not block the water flow," Surapong said. Meanwhile, flood victims in Tambon Ban Kluai in Sukhothai's Muang district said they did not have enough food and drinking water. Waipoj Pakdee said many people were forced to find water and had no choice but to add crystallised sulphates to purify the floodwater and drink it. "But clearly, that's not enough. Many people now have diarrhoea," he said. Another flood victim, who identified herself only as "Tukta", said most people in the village only received one box of food a day.
Piyanart Srivalo The Nation
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