Thai economic Cabinet urged to be more responsive

[webfact]

Economic cabinet urged to be more responsive
ERICH PARPART
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- ANY new economic cabinet should respond faster to the recommendations of the private sector while a new and effective economic cabinet could help stimulate the economy, experts said yesterday.

Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, yesterday expressed exasperation at the poor performance of the public sector in acting on the urgent needs of the private sector.

"The task of economic stimulation must be a combined effort of the private and public sectors, which work together, and the new economic cabinet should respond faster to the recommendations of the private sector," he said.

"The problem is that the government does acknowledge and respond to the recommendations of the private sector, but it is too late, either because of the government or the bureaucratic mechanism," he said.

The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late.

"The support for farmers and SMEs will boost domestic consumption and the overall confidence of consumers, as there are many people involved in these two sectors.

"People will start consuming more and that would help boost tax collections," he said.

"There's no point in continuing to worry about exports because everybody in the region is experiencing the same slowdown in shipments, so we have to strengthen our domestic situation," he added.

Tim Leelahaphan, an assistant vice president and economist at Maybank Kim Eng Securities (Thailand)'s research department, said a new and effective economic cabinet could boost the economy, but the new shortlist of candidates is "unexciting".

Somkid Jatusripitak, a former deputy prime minister, should take the post as head of the economic cabinet more than become the next industry minister, as speculated, he said.

The prospect of Finance Minister Sommai Phasee being replaced by the ministry's permanent secretary, Rungson Sriworasat, is just going to be an internal shuffle and that is not going to create a big enough wave to change things within the ministry.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Economic-cabinet-urged-to-be-more-responsive-30265042.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-23

[Emster23]

"The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late."

They can't "firm up" crop prices. It's a global market. Learn nothing from rice scheme? Cut production prices for farmers? How about decent water management, which is a legit thing for government to do. Lowering taxes might help too. More help for SME's? Assist by crack down on all the bureaucrats meddling, brown envelopes, restricting work permits, etc. When SMEs depend on government rather than marketplace to ensure survival they get fat, stupid, lazy and eventually bankrupt. Put their efforts into removing government as much as possible from gumming up the works of free market might be a worthwhile endevour.

[Eric Loh]

"The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late."

They can't "firm up" crop prices. It's a global market. Learn nothing from rice scheme? Cut production prices for farmers? How about decent water management, which is a legit thing for government to do. Lowering taxes might help too. More help for SME's? Assist by crack down on all the bureaucrats meddling, brown envelopes, restricting work permits, etc. When SMEs depend on government rather than marketplace to ensure survival they get fat, stupid, lazy and eventually bankrupt. Put their efforts into removing government as much as possible from gumming up the works of free market might be a worthwhile endevour.

There is an easier way. Have an elected government.

[Mudcrab]

"The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late."

They can't "firm up" crop prices. It's a global market. Learn nothing from rice scheme? Cut production prices for farmers? How about decent water management, which is a legit thing for government to do. Lowering taxes might help too. More help for SME's? Assist by crack down on all the bureaucrats meddling, brown envelopes, restricting work permits, etc. When SMEs depend on government rather than marketplace to ensure survival they get fat, stupid, lazy and eventually bankrupt. Put their efforts into removing government as much as possible from gumming up the works of free market might be a worthwhile endevour.

There is an easier way. Have an elected government.

tried that...it didn't work to well did it?

An effective government is a better choice in the short term.

[Thai at Heart]

Did he say that boosting farmers income will in the end boost tax receipts. Surely not. Did he say firming up farm prices? Surely not. I know. How about the govt just buy the crops at above market rates to put money into the country. Do it a little different to thaksin. Any registered Thai farmer to directly receive a 200 baht a tonne subsidy.

Ah, populism, almost as misunderstood as the word "liberal"....

Fdi has been falling for 5 years in Thailand and they wonder why gdp isn't moving. It's the Foreigners building massive new factories that really boost gdp along in Thailand. Open the doors, let them in more easily, remove the protected industries and watch the cash roll in.

[Thai at Heart]

"The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late."

They can't "firm up" crop prices. It's a global market. Learn nothing from rice scheme? Cut production prices for farmers? How about decent water management, which is a legit thing for government to do. Lowering taxes might help too. More help for SME's? Assist by crack down on all the bureaucrats meddling, brown envelopes, restricting work permits, etc. When SMEs depend on government rather than marketplace to ensure survival they get fat, stupid, lazy and eventually bankrupt. Put their efforts into removing government as much as possible from gumming up the works of free market might be a worthwhile endevour.

There is an easier way. Have an elected government.

tried that...it didn't work to well did it?

An effective government is a better choice in the short term.

Gdp growth was running along just fine under elected govt. It is the infernal meddling by the army that is the problem

[FangFerang]

"The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late."

They can't "firm up" crop prices. It's a global market. Learn nothing from rice scheme? Cut production prices for farmers? How about decent water management, which is a legit thing for government to do. Lowering taxes might help too. More help for SME's? Assist by crack down on all the bureaucrats meddling, brown envelopes, restricting work permits, etc. When SMEs depend on government rather than marketplace to ensure survival they get fat, stupid, lazy and eventually bankrupt. Put their efforts into removing government as much as possible from gumming up the works of free market might be a worthwhile endevour.

There is an easier way. Have an elected government.

tried that...it didn't work to well did it?

An effective government is a better choice in the short term.

I know you would not approve of a coup in your home country, which is blatant hypocrisy.