NRC hopes Prayut govt will implement measures to reduce inequality
The National Reform Council is hopeful its proposed measures to lower Thailand's level of economic inequality will be implemented during the present government's tenure.
The measures include the forming of a committee to oversee and enforce efforts to lower disparity, as well as amendments to regulate and introduce regulations.
"There are measures that can be implemented by this government, such as reform in the allocation of lands through the setting up of a Land Bank, and an increase in local budgets for areas that are falling behind in terms of economic development," Kobsak Pootrakool, an NRC member and vice president of Bangkok Bank, told The Nation during a seminar arranged by the council yesterday.
"The setting up of a mechanism to increase cooperation between public and private efforts to lower economic inequality is a priority and it can easily be done even if it means the setting up of a new institution to oversee the efforts. But the question is, does the government really want to do it?" he added.
Kobsak revealed that the proposed measures – including the amendment of regulations such as the Business Competition Act, bolstering regulations to cover the actions of state enterprises, the reduction of the size of the Office of Trade Competition Commission and reforming investigation and enforcement processes – are in the government’s hands and will be considered in the coming months.
"The government will have to consider the setting up of a Land Bank and budget reallocations to first support the people that need it the most," he said. "These reforms will have to be done one way or another and the amendments of regulations, if approved, are expected to be done within the tenure of this government."
