Four laws 'will help reduce inequality'
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NLA's Wuttisarn says laws on community land titles, land tax and Land Bank would help poor
Four laws for the poor are among the promising tools to reduce inequality in Thailand, a recent academic seminar was told.
National Legislative Assembly member Assoc Prof Wuttisarn Tanchai, told the seminar these laws cover community title deeds, the Land Bank, the progressive land tax rate and the Justice Fund.
“I hope the interim government will support these laws,” said Wuttisarn, who is also deputy secretary general of the King Prajadhipok’s Institute.
He joined the seminar on the “Government’s Social Policy in Focus” at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Social Administration on Thursday.
Wuttisarn believed that without the need to retain a political support base, members of the current government should have the courage to go ahead with unpopular polices that would perpetuate reform in the country.
“Unlike populist policies, tax reform, for example, is going to displease many but the interim government should do it,” he said.
Asked by a student at the seminar whether he supported the recent coup, Wuttisarn said he did not agree with how the interim government came to power. “But I see opportunities that the interim government can use and do something for the country,” he said.
After staging the coup in May, the National Council for Peace and Order set up the current administration.
Speaking at the same seminar, Assoc Prof Dr Kitipat Nontapattamadul of Thammasat University’s Faculty of Social Administration lamented that the National Reform Council, also set up by the NCPO, did not really have people’s representatives.
“When you formulate public policies, you have to listen to people,” Kitipat said.
The academic agreed with the progressive-tax-rate concept. He said it would allow a fair distribution of income.
He said most resources were still in the hands of a very small percentage of population and academics had recommended policies that they believed would properly tackle this issue and reduce the social and economic gap.
The government, for example, must improve people’s access to public services.
“And to be fair, the underprivileged should get more from state welfare when compared with others,” he said.
Kitipat urged the Prayut government to establish a Child Support Subsidy Fund to help parents, describing the proposal as an investment in the country’s human resources.
“Research shows a child support subsidy from the government could reduce the mortality rate in children and increase the quality of the country’s population,” he said.
Dr Thanyalak Weerasombati of the same faculty raised concerns about labour issues. “We need labour reform too,” she said.
She said the labour skills of Thais were now at the same level as Cambodians. “We need to improve their skills so that they can earn a higher income,” Thanyalak said.
