BANGKOK, Thailand – Provincial commerce officials in Buriram province on Wednesday fined a local shop 1,000 baht for adding a 7% Value Added Tax (VAT) surcharge to products under the government’s “Khon La Khrueng Plus” co-payment stimulus scheme, officials said.
The action followed an inspection after reports emerged that the shop was charging the extra VAT on top of the displayed price tags for items bought through the programme.
Commerce officials found the store was selling goods at prices inconsistent with the actual displayed tags. The non-corporate entity shop was fined 1,000 baht and instructed to strictly comply with the Goods and Services Price Act of B.E. 2542 (1999) to maintain user confidence in the scheme.
The “Khon La Khrueng Plus” project is a government initiative designed to stimulate the economy by subsidising purchases by citizens, where the government pays for a portion of the product cost. (TNA)
