Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin reported the case of ‘Dr. Boon,’ leader of the group claiming for the return of old age contributions to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. The Labour Minister confirmed that ‘Dr. Boon’ is part of a subcommittee and asks for help in communicating to the people in the group to understand the facts and communication that the SSO is working within the framework of the law, which has a clear timeframe and steps.
On January 22, 2021, at the Labour Relations Committee meeting, ground floor, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin reported the case of Dr. Boon Arayaphon, leader of the “asking for returns, not beginning” group, who met with him along with group representatives. The group has filed claims for the return of old age contributions to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. The Labour Minister said that previously, workers and insured persons had filed a claim to the Prime Minister to ask to consider amending the Social Security Act B.E. 2533 to bring out some of the Social Security Fund for use. In this regard, the Labour Minister said that in using old age contributions to help some parts of insured person groups, the government’s policies by Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha had instructed the Labour Minister upon taking his position that the Social Security Office urgently consider case studies to solve issues arising from insured persons. This includes using some funding from the Social Security Fund (old age contributions fund) and complying with government policy to solve issues according to the insured group’s claims as stated above. On the latest progress, the Social Security Office immediately acted on its authority to find ways to implement government policy to resolve insured persons’ issues. The Social Security Committee has appointed a subcommittee to study claims of labour groups in requesting the use of funds from the Social Security Fund beforehand (ad hoc) by appointing Ms. Boon Arayaphon or Doctor Boon’ as part of the subcommittee. There has been a meeting to follow up on the progress of the implementation of the legal framework. In the past, there have been many meetings and studies on ways to help in 2 phases. It will send matters to the Office of the Council of State for interpretation in the short term. In the long term, the Social Security Office is required to amend the relevant laws to allow for some early adoption of the old-age fund within the framework of the law, following the procedures of the Social Security Office, the Ministry of Labour, the Cabinet, and Parliament. Each step has a clear time frame.
Mr. Suchart added that as of now, the Social Security Office had held a meeting of the working group to conduct a hearing on the guidelines for the use of the Social Security Fund prematurely. The meeting was held on January 7, 2021. The working group will continue to listen to opinions in the coming February.
“Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan are concerned for all worker groups and people who have suffered. They have charged me as Labour Minister to follow up on the issues, to take care of the workforce like family. In the case where Doctor Boon, leader of the group that filed a claim for the return of old age contributions to mitigate Covid-19 effects, I can confirm that the Social Security Office has monitored this closely. However, I do not understand why Doctor Boon, who is part of the subcommittee studying this case and claim, who knows all the steps and progress, is not communicating this to the group members. Instead, she is leading the group’s members to continue to file various claims. I ask that Dr. Boon communicate the progress from the subcommittee meetings, to which she is part of, and cascade this to members of the group to understand that the Social Security Office is working within the framework of the law, which has a clear timeframe and steps,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
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Division of Public Relations
23 January 2021
