ID :
130008
Sun, 06/27/2010 - 14:43
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/130008
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Thai Cabinet to consider national reform committees this week
BANGKOK, June 27 (TNA) -- Two reform committees, planned by the Prime Minister’s Office and designed to erase sharp social divisions in Thailand, will be formed and presented for Cabinet consideration Tuesday, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday.
The National Reform Committee and the National Reform Assembly have been set up and will work independently “without intervention from the government”, Mr Abhisit said during his weekly TV and radio address.
The government will provide only necessary staff and budget and “both committees will last only three years”, he said. Public opinion will be measured nationwide by telephone this week.
Mr Abhisit also expressed satisfaction with developments on plans to solve persisting economic and social problems, dissatisfactions which were blamed for the recent anti-government protests which were dispersed by military action on May 19.
The first committee will be chaired by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun and will focus on strategies and priorities for reform to be proposed to the government, while the second, chaired by noted social scholar Prawase Wasi, will work on bringing about a national reform assembly and will serve as a channel for all sectors of society, to put forward their views and proposals to formulate proposals for the government.
Mr Abhisit later told journalists that he favoured a plan by the Finance Ministry to extend three economic assistance programmes for another six months, ending December 31, to assist low income earners.
The economic assistance programmes will be given to the Cabinet Tuesday for its approval.
Under the present programmes, eight million households using less than 90 units of electricity per month do not need to pay for electricity. Passengers on some 800 buses on 73 routes in Bangkok and 172 third-class passenger trains nationwide can travel free.
Mr Abhisit said the programme extension is not meant to draw advance political support from the public for his ruling Democrat Party in the next general elections because they would be carried on from before. (TNA)
The National Reform Committee and the National Reform Assembly have been set up and will work independently “without intervention from the government”, Mr Abhisit said during his weekly TV and radio address.
The government will provide only necessary staff and budget and “both committees will last only three years”, he said. Public opinion will be measured nationwide by telephone this week.
Mr Abhisit also expressed satisfaction with developments on plans to solve persisting economic and social problems, dissatisfactions which were blamed for the recent anti-government protests which were dispersed by military action on May 19.
The first committee will be chaired by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun and will focus on strategies and priorities for reform to be proposed to the government, while the second, chaired by noted social scholar Prawase Wasi, will work on bringing about a national reform assembly and will serve as a channel for all sectors of society, to put forward their views and proposals to formulate proposals for the government.
Mr Abhisit later told journalists that he favoured a plan by the Finance Ministry to extend three economic assistance programmes for another six months, ending December 31, to assist low income earners.
The economic assistance programmes will be given to the Cabinet Tuesday for its approval.
Under the present programmes, eight million households using less than 90 units of electricity per month do not need to pay for electricity. Passengers on some 800 buses on 73 routes in Bangkok and 172 third-class passenger trains nationwide can travel free.
Mr Abhisit said the programme extension is not meant to draw advance political support from the public for his ruling Democrat Party in the next general elections because they would be carried on from before. (TNA)
