Ministers to tout achievements
Play
Ministers in Yingluck Shinawatra's government will start to announce the achievements of their first year in office next week, while the prime minister herself will offer a big picture of the administration's performance in mid-September, PM's secretar
The full report to be announced to Parliament is expected to be complete in late September, he said.
Suranand was speaking after a meeting of Pheu Thai ministers at Phitsanulok House yesterday morning. He said the Democrats’ criticisms of the government’s performance were just rhetoric, and Yingluck was happy with the achievements reported yesterday.
Suranand said the reason that the presentation would be done ministry-by-ministry was that each had lots of details to clarify to the public.
“If we let five ministers speak together, we are afraid that the public will not get as many details as they should. Moreover, the minister might miss some issues due to limited time.” He said the media would be allowed to pose questions while the presentation would start from the ministries in the quota of the Pheu Thai Party.
Yingluck will speak on reconciliation policies, he said.
Government Spokeswoman Sansanee Nakpong said the date of each ministry’s presentation had yet to be announced.
Suranand said the presentation would include a comparison of the achievements of the Yingluck government and those of the previous government under Abhisit Vejjajiva. However, it would not be fair to blame the Yingluck government for the many problems that had continued from Abhisit’s administration.
“I have to say that many problems were inherited by this government from the previous one. For example, the debts that resulted from financial mismanagement, or the problem of the unrest in the South. If the media go back and look at the prime minister’s [Yingluck’s] policy declaration, you will discover this,” he said.
Asked about the policies of the government that have been heavily criticised, Suranand said it was normal for policies to face problems in practice. But when faced with criticism or complaints, the government let the relevant minister clarify the issue to the media.
For example, Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom had clarified to the media the policies and measures to tackle problems of higher consumer-product prices.
“I believe that the media should talk to the [responsible] ministers on each issue,” he said.
Suranand said the government did not have to study and prepare answers to the opposition’s attack on the economic problems, which he said were certain to be targeted by the opposition during the censure debate.
He said the government regularly monitored the economy, adding that the figures for many sectors were strong enough to reach the expected growth targets in the next quarter indicated by the National Economic and Social Development Board.
Pheu Thai caretaker director Phumtham Wechayachai said he thought the government passed its test in the first year. The Democrats should have waited to hear the government’s achievement declaration before using information to counter it, he said.
