No populism in govt priorities: Narongchai

The government is focusing on ensuring the country’s security and ending populist policies that have brought damage to the economic system, while the overall energy-price system will be revised with an initial rise in the Bt30 per litre price of diesel, the energy minister said yesterday. 

Speaking at a seminar on economic policy during the period of reconciliation and investment reform, Narongchai Akrasanee said the government, in which the military played a significant policy-making role, was focused on the establishment of national security over wealth creation in terms of its priorities, while the private sector was committed to the latter goal first.

He explained that at the beginning of the new government’s term, it was mostly tackling issues that had damaged the state’s revenues, prior to revising the energy-price structure. 

Thailand has been faced with distortions of the energy-price structure for a long time, he added. 

Given the current highly inefficient use of energy, the government will have to rush implementation of projects related to the transportation infrastructure, the minister said, adding that the country had not yet had full execution on the supply side, given years of price intervention under previous administrations.

Narongchai said the government would promote technology for energy-saving and efficient energy use, while the distribution and allocation of resources would have to be fair and worthwhile. 

The government will not set populist policies that could bring further damage and increase public debt and the burden on the state, he stressed. 

Without the populist policies for energy, rice and rubber, the government will, instead, provide assistance to those affected by such policy changes, he said.

Following the appointment of the Energy Policy Administration Committee, the first item on the agenda is the restructuring of energy prices, Narongchai said.

Contrary to the policy decisions taken by previous governments, there will be no populist measure sustaining the price of diesel at Bt30 per litre. Adjusting fuel prices requires appropriateness and equality in order to achieve the right balance, he explained.

The current energy-price structure is not a proper one, as the prices did not come from principles which required adjustments, Narongchai said. Details will be discussed by the new policy committee, possibly early next month.

Asian tourists demand weekend destinations where that they can find great food, go shopping and have a beauty make-over, as well as having medical treatment, according to the TAT.

 The TAT has set a revenue target of Bt2.2 trillion from tourism this year, as it promotes Thailand as a weekend destination for Asean tourists, said Kobkarn.