Flood measures must be swiftly implemented

The government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has won a “second chance” to deal with the flood crisis after the Constitution Court gave a green light to its decree to permit Bt350 billion in loans for flood prevention work. Now, the government has no excuse to fail its mission.

The Yingluck government is now equipped with massive resources to implement its flood prevention plan and relief efforts. There must be no further delay to execute water 

management projects, as the government had earlier pledged to do.

However, prospects to date are not so promising. The government has not made satisfactory progress, even though many academics and experts floated many ideas for flood prevention and relief after the massive deluge struck lower central Thailand last year. 

There has been talk of building flood barriers, flood ways, beltways, embankment walls and water holding areas. While these projects have not been executed, there has been confusions over what the government plans to do with sites deemed to be water-holding area.

The Constitution Court’s ruling should give the government a free hand to deal with the issue. Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong said the Ministry would borrow about Bt90 billion to fund flood-barrier construction and catchment areas. Kittiratt said that the Bt350-billion in funds, plus some current fiscal spending, would be adequate to deal with flood disaster prevention. 

However, business groups adversely affected by last year’s huge flood were not quite convinced the country would be immune from flooding. President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Thailand Kyoichi Tanada said last week said that Japanese investors were concerned whether the government would be able to prevent further flooding this year.

 

 

Local business sector concerned

 

Local business people are also concerned about government readiness to deal with the flood, in spite of the Constitution Court’s ruling. They are want projects implemented quickly to ensure that prevention plans are effective and achievable.

However, a series of recent events has not enhanced public confidence. 

Public interest in the controversial meeting between Yingluck and a group of businessmen at the Four Seasons Hotel on February 8 has shifted to ethical conduct and whether this group of businessmen received any privileged information from the exclusive meeting with the premier.

The Ombudsman’s Office has agreed to look into a petition filed by a group of MPs on why Yingluck had to skip a parliamentary session to privately meet businessmen, most of were from the property sector. Yingluck claimed earlier that she had discussed flood prevention and floodways with them. But her explanation could not expel sceptics’ doubts. That is partly because Yingluck’s family business is also in real estate. 

Any insightful knowledge about the areas earmarked as part of the government’s flood prevention programme could benefit property investors.

Apart from clearing the issue with the public, the Yingluck government thus has no room to fail in its water management mission this year. The government should now be equipped with experience in dealing with a massive deluge. Water experts and education institutes are readily available to assist. In addition, nature should be “on side” this year because it is expected that the amount of rainfall will be less than the previous year. 

Given the Yingluck government’s inability to cope with the flood crisis last year, it has to prove to the public that it is up to the task. But with all support the government has been offered, even a flood of half the magnitude would be considered as an absolute failure.

Yingluck has given the benefit of doubt from the public because of her gender and inexperience last year. But if her government can’t get things right this year, she’s hardly likely to get any further chances.