Gov't at risk on compensation payments: Wissanu
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Former deputy prime minister Wissanu Kreangam on Tuesday lambasted the government on two issues - unprudent implementation of populist policies and paying Bt7 million compensation per red-shirt victim without legal mandate.
“I question the legality for the Bt7 million compensation package if the government has the legal mandate to do so, then there would not be the digit lottery case,” he said in reference to the sale of digit lottery which was later found unlawful.
Wissanu, who served under the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, said he did not entirely oppose populist projects but wanted to question the unprudent manner to implement such policies.
Successive governments just promoted populist policies to sway votes in the short term and failed to factor in the long-term adverse impacts on wasteful spendings, he said.
“Populist policies are a form of patronage system to remind voters to show gratitude when casting ballots,” he said.
He reminded government leaders that they should ensure the compliance of basic state policies, fiscal discipline, rule of law, good governance and accurate assessment of domestic politics when churning out populist projects.
He said he viewed populist policies as a first-aid kit before dealing with the economic woes.
Presently, the Bt300 minimum daily wage was being promoted but the government had to bear the cost via subsidies because business operators could not bear the burden, he said, reminding the authorities that he had seen no clear plans on how to finance such subsidies.
He said the government had no tangible plans to finance the loss incurred by the rice pledging scheme.
He was speaking at a hearing convened by the Senate committee on finance and banking.
