Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva details the government’s achievements during its first year in office at Government House yesterday. CHANAT KATANYU
Business leaders gush but poll reveals angst
24/12/2009
Bangkok Post
Business groups are backing the government's performance after a year in office - but an opinion survey shows most people are dissatisfied with its record to date.
The business groups praised Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his cabinet ministers for their handling of economic problems.
A Bangkok University survey, however, shows most people are not as approving as the business leaders.
"The government is prepared and has done its homework. Its [economic] measures are also well timed and can boost investors' confidence," Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Dusit Nontanakorn said.
Federation of Thai Industries chairman Santi Vilassakdanont also gave the government the nod of approval, especially its strong determination to weather the economic slump.
But Mr Santi called on the government to ensure its economic stimulus package went ahead as planned because the global economy had not yet stabilised.
After administering the country for a year, the prime minister yesterday said the coalition government had achieved economic success but admitted there were still problems with corruption and violence in the lower South.
Mr Abhisit said the Democrat-led government had administered the country since late last year amid political conflicts and the global economic crisis.
The country has been divided into two camps of supporters and opponents of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra since before Mr Abhisit took power in December last year.
Despite the problems, he said, the government had managed to tackle economic and social problems including rising unemployment. The last quarter of last year's economy contracted by 4.2% and up to 2 million people were out of work, he said.
Mr Abhisit credited the government's economic policies including the Tonkla Archeep skill training scheme and the Thai Khem Kaeng job creation and stimulus packages for driving the country through its economic problems.
Tonkla Archeep has provided training to about 400,000 job seekers and about 300,000 now have jobs, he said.
On tourism and export promotion, the prime minister said the number of foreign tourists had increased from 10 million to 14 million people this year while export growth was on the rise.
He said the government was able to push forward several government welfare projects for the needy including the 15-year free education policy, the distribution of a 500 baht monthly allowance for the elderly, aid for the disabled and a plan to solve the problem for landless farmers.
"They should not be considered populist policies. They are government state welfare [projects] given to all Thais," he said.
But the prime minister admitted more needed to be done to solve the violence in the South even though the government had initiated several measures such as allocating 60 billion baht for development projects in the troubled region.
He said corruption in government projects had troubled him but he promised to tackle the issue.
Mr Dusit called on the government to closely monitor the spending under the stimulus scheme to ensure transparency.
He also advised that the government keep political tensions in check and avoid an early lower house dissolution which would complicate the situation.
Senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn doubted that the government had made ground in stemming a movement to undermine the institution of monarchy.
He said the enforcement of the laws involving the matter was deemed ineffective because authorities failed to track down the masterminds behind the movement.
He said the arrest of people accused of spreading false information about His Majesty the King's health, which led to a sharp plunge in stock market prices in October, was getting nowhere.
The business groups praised Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his cabinet ministers for their handling of economic problems.
A Bangkok University survey, however, shows most people are not as approving as the business leaders.
"The government is prepared and has done its homework. Its [economic] measures are also well timed and can boost investors' confidence," Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Dusit Nontanakorn said.
Federation of Thai Industries chairman Santi Vilassakdanont also gave the government the nod of approval, especially its strong determination to weather the economic slump.
But Mr Santi called on the government to ensure its economic stimulus package went ahead as planned because the global economy had not yet stabilised.
After administering the country for a year, the prime minister yesterday said the coalition government had achieved economic success but admitted there were still problems with corruption and violence in the lower South.
Mr Abhisit said the Democrat-led government had administered the country since late last year amid political conflicts and the global economic crisis.
The country has been divided into two camps of supporters and opponents of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra since before Mr Abhisit took power in December last year.
Despite the problems, he said, the government had managed to tackle economic and social problems including rising unemployment. The last quarter of last year's economy contracted by 4.2% and up to 2 million people were out of work, he said.
Mr Abhisit credited the government's economic policies including the Tonkla Archeep skill training scheme and the Thai Khem Kaeng job creation and stimulus packages for driving the country through its economic problems.
Tonkla Archeep has provided training to about 400,000 job seekers and about 300,000 now have jobs, he said.
On tourism and export promotion, the prime minister said the number of foreign tourists had increased from 10 million to 14 million people this year while export growth was on the rise.
He said the government was able to push forward several government welfare projects for the needy including the 15-year free education policy, the distribution of a 500 baht monthly allowance for the elderly, aid for the disabled and a plan to solve the problem for landless farmers.
"They should not be considered populist policies. They are government state welfare [projects] given to all Thais," he said.
But the prime minister admitted more needed to be done to solve the violence in the South even though the government had initiated several measures such as allocating 60 billion baht for development projects in the troubled region.
He said corruption in government projects had troubled him but he promised to tackle the issue.
Mr Dusit called on the government to closely monitor the spending under the stimulus scheme to ensure transparency.
He also advised that the government keep political tensions in check and avoid an early lower house dissolution which would complicate the situation.
Senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn doubted that the government had made ground in stemming a movement to undermine the institution of monarchy.
He said the enforcement of the laws involving the matter was deemed ineffective because authorities failed to track down the masterminds behind the movement.
He said the arrest of people accused of spreading false information about His Majesty the King's health, which led to a sharp plunge in stock market prices in October, was getting nowhere.
3 comments:
To all Khmer compatriots, ladies and gentlemen,
Dear Khmer Kandal and Khmer Krom fighters,
Mr. Sam Rainsy and his party non-violence policy towards Hun Sen/CPP will not and never be work and Vietnam does not want to understand what is democracy, what is human right and what is oppressed, colonized, occupied Cambodia who was once upon the time fed, sheltered, supported Crocodile’s Vietnam to win over United States Arm forces in Vietnam War.
On 16th December, 2009 Mr. Hun Sen said in Cambodian public that Mr. Sam Rainsy will not be tolerated again this time, he must come in Cambodia and go to Prey Sar prison (sic), or he should ask Thai government to let him form a Khmer Exile Government at the Khmer-Thai territory along the Western border.
What Mr. Sam Rainsy ought to do is neither goes to Prey Sar prison nor goes to Vietnamese court in Hanoi. If, I were Mr. Sam Rainsy I would negotiate with Mr. Abbhisit Vejjajiva the Thai prime minister to follow Mr. Hun Sen suggestion in forming a Khmer Exile Government at the Thai-Cambodia border. I can assure you there will be 100 of thousands Khmer inside Cambodia will come to join the new Khmer Exile Government like in 1979’s.
Khmer king Norodom Sihamoni appointed Thaksin Shinawatra as Hun Sen adviser. Therefore, Mr. Sam Rainsy can form a Khmer Exile Government along Khmer-Thai border too. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WHICH CAN brings Vietnam and their slave Mr. Hun Sen/CPP to respect the 23rd October, 1991 Paris Peace Agreement by convene another international conference on Cambodia.
Regards,
Kulen Monorom
(The rice farmer’s son)
To the Honorable President Barracks Obama, The United States President of America,
Mr. Hun Sen says there are 100,000 North Vietnamese Communist arm forces still occupied Cambodia everyday and they stay on top of his head.
Eyes witness said there are 4 to 5 million illegal Vietnamese communists also occupied Cambodia to give illegal vote to Mr. Hun Sen and his CPP illegitimate government.
My appeal to President Barracks Obama are:
(A)***** Can the United States of America rescue Cambodia from Vietnamese communist government through their puppet Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government swallowing Cambodia now??? Your past policy in helping Cambodia on Human Right, Democracy, Health and education were so great, but they will not stop Vietnamese government from swallowing Khmer country in the near future.
Cambodia always wanted to be USA ally in her own independent right, not through the satellite of Hanoi government.
(B)***** Can the United States of America stay in Cambodia for ever by not desert Cambodia and left innocent Khmer as the most trust US ally to be slaughtered by Vietcong/NVA/Khmer Rouge soldiers (prince Sirimatak Sisowath last letter in March 1975 to then US Ambassador John Anthony Dean) like the USA did on the 12th of April 1975???
(C)***** Can the United States of America rescue Cambodia from the dictator Mr. Hun Sen the same way as America did rescue Iraqi people from the dictator Mr. Saddam Hussein???
(D)***** Can the United States of America do it now either by law or by force, before the Hanoi government swallowing Khmer people and Khmer land through it puppet Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government completely soon.
President Obama, by helping all Khmer inside Cambodia to stand up strong and tall against the dictatorship and corruption of Mr. Hun Sen and the Cambodian People Party (CPP) like Ambassador Rodley did in the Cambodian Olympic Stadium this year, US may also soon help rescue the whole of Cambodia from the occupation of the 100,000 disguised Communist Vietnamese Army + their advisers + 4 to 5 millions illegal Vietnamese immigrants who have not left Cambodia according to the 23rd October 1991 Paris Peace Accord yet!!!
In the East we have got colonized by Hanoi, whereas in the West we have the threat from the Thai government and her powerful Arm Forces everyday since July 2008.
President Obama, may I urge you to put pressure on Mr. Hun Sen and his Royal Cambodian government to immediately accept 10,000 of American Arm Forces plus 10,000 United Nations Arm forces to the Khmer-Thai and to Khmer-Vietnamese border to:
1- Prevent the Royal Thai Arm forces from burning Khmer civilians alive again.
2- Prevent the Royal Thai Arm forces from invading Cambodia and killing all the former Khmer Rouge soldiers and their teenage sons on Hanoi and Mr. Hun Sen government behalf.
3- Prevent Mr. Hun Sen government from signing any new contracts with his master Hanoi in bringing 100,000 or more Bodoi troops to fight with the Royal Thai Arm forces from Inside Khmer territory. Although, previously there were 100,000 of NVA + 4 to 5 millions of illegal Vietnamese immigrant inside Cambodia already, but the 25 years troop intervention (invasion) contract between Hanoi government and the Royal Cambodian Government in the past have finished many years ago.
May almighty God Jesus Christ bless America and little innocent Cambodia.
May almighty God Jesus Christ rescue Cambodia from Vietnam swallowing and from the Royal Thai Arm forces invasion.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Americans and to all Cambodians.
Regards,
Kulen Monorom
the rice farmer's son)
Thursday 24th of December, 2009
The Business groups or investors don't acre about what Thailand or Cambodia is going to be, they invest they want money that's it.
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