BURNING ISSUE

Government's fortunes hinge on transport scheme

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The government will sink or swim depending on the actions of three individuals - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt.

The political mercury is slated to soar in April and the fate of the government will hinge on how well the three can rein in coalition and opposition politicians.

newsjs

Under Yingluck's leadership, Thailand is poised for an ambitious transformation of its logistics and transport infrastructure.

The spending outlay of almost Bt5 trillion, of which about Bt2 trillion will be financed by public loans, is one of the largest public investments in the country's history.

The resulting economic transformation, if completed in seven years to coincide with Yingluck's second term, will make Thailand the logistics hub that links Asean countries with India and Southern China.

The government has committed to this massive investment in the hope that it will boost the economy in the face of the global slowdown.

From an economic perspective, Yingluck is doing the sensible thing to cushion the country from the volatile economies of Japan, Europe and the US.

The unanswered question is whether the government can control the domestic political situation so as to make its economic visions a reality.

Despite the fact that the prime minister has frozen all controversial agendas, such as the charter rewrite, pardon for political protesters and amnesty for her brother Thaksin, political stability is still fragile.

But it is coalition MPs, rather than opposition lawmakers, who are posing the threat to the government.

Since Yingluck surprised them by delaying Thaksin's homecoming, the Democrats have been unable to regain their voice as an effective opposition.

Although the government is on track to launch a legislative debate on borrowing the necessary Bt2 trillion next month, the main opposition party has not even started to map out a strategy to oppose such a spending outlay.

Despite the opposition's disarray, Government House strategists predict there will only be time for a first reading of the loans bill before the legislative adjournment in April. Expectations are that its full passage will only be secured in the third quarter of the year.

The Democrats will certainly cite fiscal discipline as a legitimate reason to delay the bill's passage for as long as possible.

But the real obstacles to the bill's enactment come from within the Pheu Thai Party.

Yingluck, Kittiratt and Chadchart need time to convince their allies to abandon individual interests for the sake of the greater good.

Pheu Thai MPs and their leaders are unlikely to bicker in public, but the strain in their ties can not be overlooked.

While Yingluck is preaching transparency on her anti-graft crusade, at the same time she is picking investment proposals linked to Pheu Thai MPs and ignoring deals brokered by Thaksin.

If this unfair access to the pie is to continue, then the government could be undone by its ambitious plans.

For the past few months, Kittiratt has been in the hot seat, facing rebukes from Thaksin as well as Pheu Thai MPs and coalition allies. He is at his wits' end over how to please all political bosses at once.

Chadchart is having a hard time trying to deliver political expediency without compromising the integrity of investment projects.

He has about a month to come up with a practical plan to distribute a few crumbs to coalition and opposition politicians in exchange for their green-lighting the projects.

The stakes could not be higher. If Yingluck, Kittiratt and Chadchart fail to push through the economic transformation, then the government is at risk of losing its grip on power.

-- The Nation 2013-02-08

Don't know if this, or any Thai government, would be competent enough to manage projects of this scale.....can't even build a few cop shops....and don't even go into flood mitigation !!

The spending outlay of almost Bt5 trillion, of which about Bt2 trillion will be financed by public loans, is one of the largest public investments in the country's history.

I must have missed that update, where is the other bt3trillion going?

Chadchart is having a hard time trying to deliver political expediency without compromising the integrity of investment projects.

He has about a month to come up with a practical plan to distribute a few crumbs to coalition and opposition politicians in exchange for their green-lighting the projects.

Assuming this report is correct it sure shows what a self centered lot we have governing this country.

These are the same coalition partners who swore allegence to the Dems in the previous Govt, if I remember correctly some of them in campaigning came out and said they would never go along with Thaksin's party.

Open for the best offer.

It seems that they will also only get crumbs while most of the cake goes to.....................................

'Kittirat has been in the hot seat, facing rebukes by Thaksin ....'

Weren't we assured just last week that Yingluck is the real prime minister and that Thaksin does not pull any strings? He must bypass her and skype direct to Kittirat without her knowledge.

Are the Thai's learning how to spend other peoples money from the US politicians? The masters of spending usually are different with their own money!

Are the Thai's learning how to spend other peoples money from the US politicians? The masters of spending usually are different with their own money!

Here we go again.

Transport ministry is a lucrative business, wasn't that Supoth with 900 million in cash stuffed in carrier bags at home a transport boy? What could possibly go wrong with Thaksin borrowing 2 trillion baht to improve the lives of the Thai people?

Government's fortunes hinge on transport scheme

I think in actual fact that headline should read.

Thaksin and his family's along with their brown nosing acolytes fortunes hinge on transport scheme

Yingluck, Kittiratt and Chadchart need time to convince their allies to abandon individual interests for the sake of the greater good.

That quote alone confirms clearly that the personal interests of the assorted band of politicians that make up the current maladministration ruling clique are in favour of feathering their own nests alone, both financially and for political clout. The interests of the Thai people and Thailand its self come a very poor third behind the personal financial needs of the politicians and the ruling clan.

This is indeed a large scale infrastructure projects, successive Thai governments have never been able to properly finish off on promises, this will be no different, the problem lies within the Thai style of democratic government, lets be frank Frank, while Generals hold key positions within gov departments and not appointed buy knowledge ,merritt alone , one can only assume that a puppet government rules Thailand whilst the junta calls the tune, strange but true.

Government's fortunes hinge on transport scheme

I think in actual fact that headline should read.

Thaksin and his family's along with their brown nosing acolytes fortunes hinge on transport scheme

Yingluck, Kittiratt and Chadchart need time to convince their allies to abandon individual interests for the sake of the greater good.

That quote alone confirms clearly that the personal interests of the assorted band of politicians that make up the current maladministration ruling clique are in favour of feathering their own nests alone, both financially and for political clout. The interests of the Thai people and Thailand its self come a very poor third behind the personal financial needs of the politicians and the ruling clan.

Beat me to it. Yingluck, Kittiratt and Chadchart need time to convince their allies to abandon individual interests for the sake of the greater good. This should read the policies of greed are at behest of the individuals who are scamming the country for billions of Baht, and no-one is doing ANYTHING about it. "Greater good" being the Shinawatra clan and cronies.