Finance official asks for end of occupation
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Finance permanent secretary Rangsan Sriworasart yesterday urged the anti-government protesters to end the occupation of the Finance Ministry, fearing negative impacts on government operations and the sovereign rating.
Since November 25, the protesters have camped out at the Finance Ministry on Rama VI Road.
Rangsan said that his ministry's tasks in budget disbursement and tax collection are to support all parts of the government. Since the occupation, despite data backup, the efficiency in disbursing regular budgets and compensation to the general public is less than 100 per cent. He urged all protesters to end the occupation soon.
He also expressed concerns on the long-term impacts from prolonged and violence protests, fearing rating agencies would downgrade Thailand's ratings The agencies have gave us a warning, he said, and an eventual downgrade would raise borrowing costs for the public and private sectors and reduce Thailand's attraction to foreign investors.
