HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE

       The Highways Department yesterday signed 462 contracts for highway maintenance worth Bt6.12 billion, which is part of the government's Thai Khemkhaeng package.
       The department is to sign additional 335 projects worth Bt3.9 billion by the end of this month. For the 2010 fiscal year, the department has been given Bt12.5 billion, of which Bt10.5 billion has been allocated for highway maintenance, Bt1.5 billion for community roads and Bt500 million for security improvement.
       "After the contracts are signed, contractors will submit details of the construction work for the department's consideration before the first amount - 15 per cent of the projects' value or Bt1.875 billion - is disbursed in October. This will also help inject money into the economy," Supoj Saplom, director-general of the department, said. He is confident that budget disbursement would go as planned.
       Meanwhile, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said the government would focus on medium and long-term measures to boost the economy and increase the nation's competitiveness. He said short-term measures, such as the handouts given to nearly 10 million people early this year, would no longer be implemented.
       He said the TKK package would definitely boost the economy, because at least 85 per cent of |the Bt300 billion investment would be disbursed between 2009 and 2010.