Human resources at the core of 12th national development plan: PM

The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has been working on the new plan since last year, and yesterday it released its framework. Its seven key development points have the ultimate aim of increasing gross national income per capita to drive the country to higher-income status within 10 years.

The NESDB says this 12th plan will bring all Thai people towards sustainable development, as no one should be left behind.

“I do not know if this ‘No 12 train’ is going go back to where we were or go forward on the track, but I consider this plan to be important because it is being drafted during this government’s administration … while focusing on human development is important to its success,” Prayut said at the annual meeting of the NESDB yesterday. 

The 11th plan will expire next year and the 12th will be in effect from 2017 to 2021. It includes plans to improve the economy via investments on transport infrastructure and logistics, to promote and provide support for new industries and services, investments under the 2015-2026 national water management strategy, and to increase the connectivity with neighbouring countries to support the free flow of goods, labour and investment within Asean.

 

Direct funding to schools

The highlights of the framework involving the advancement of human resources are the enhancement of mothers’ and children’s health, direct government funding to schools in remote areas, the development of a system to screen and allocate teachers, a focus on the “social determinants of health”, and preparations for an ageing society.

Other economic plans include support for research and development (R&D) to increase innovation and value-added products, enhancing the efficiency of the workforce, revival of the One Tambon One Product (Otop) scheme, improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, providing support for the move towards a “digital economy”, and restructuring the industrial sector, especially those industries related to the strengths of the country.

One of those industries in agriculture, and the plan is to steer it towards the growth of the food industry by providing it with value-added supplies. The establishment of the previously announced five special economic zones under a national-single-window theme is also part of the 12th national development plan.

“Inclusive development has been [part of] the national development plan since plan No 8, and this new plan will be consistent with |this theme,” said Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, secretary-general of the NESDB.

“All the ideas that we have gathered today will be used to improve the draft and the direction of the new plan to make it more complete … before the 12th plan is launched on October 1, 2016.” He said the NESDB expected the new plan, especially the measures to change the export sector to meet the new global demands, along with R&D support for the sector, to be able to restore export growth to around 10-15 per cent once they are fully implemented.

“If all goes well with the plans, gross domestic product should be able to expand by around 5 per cent on average as planned, and that will help propel the country away from the middle-income trap towards higher-income status within the next 10 years,” Arkhom said.