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.
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