The Commerce Ministry plans to reward informers who give tips about corruption in the rice pledging scheme.

Secretary to the commerce minister, Jirawut Singtothong, said Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong is in the process of laying down measures to prevent corruption in the rice pledging scheme for in-season paddy which is scheduled to kick off on October 7.

Jirawut noted that in order to prevent the use of rice from neighboring countries to fraudulently claim privilege prices from the government, a reward will be offered to those who give information on such practice.

Informers will be rewarded 50 percent of the value of the smuggled rice. He stated that a special unit will also be set up to prevent corruption in the scheme.

The National Rice Policy Commission has resolved to purchase 100-percent unmilled rice at 15,000 baht per ton, five-percent unmilled rice at 14,800 baht per ton, jasmine rice at 20,000 baht a ton and sticky rice at between 16,000 and18,000 baht a ton.

The regulations and conditions on the rice pledging program will be presented to the Cabinet at its meeting tomorrow.

Source: The Nation