BANGKOK: Thailand on Tuesday approved a US$45 million 90-day programme to offer essential products at reduced prices and pledged to manage high-priced products to ease pandemic hardship, a government spokesperson said.

The government will prevent goods hoarding and unreasonable price increases, Thanakorn Wangboonk ongchana told a news briefing, adding relevant agencies had taken action to fix rising goods prices, particularly of pork, report agencies.

Rising goods prices have raised concern about inflation.

However, the central bank said last week that inflation would be temporarily higher but remain within its 1 per cent-3 per cent target this year.

Headline inflation was at 2.17 per cent in December.