Action Plans for 76 Provinces Win Approval

(30/09/2011)

The Government has approved action plans for 76 provinces and 18 provincial clusters for the 2012 fiscal year, which begins in October 2011 and ends in September 2012. The decision was made at a meeting of the Committee on Provincial Management Policy and Integrated Provincial Clusters, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The meeting, which took place recently, also approved a budget of almost 27.6 billion baht, as requested by the 76 provinces and provincial clusters to carry out projects in response to the Government’s policies. Prime Minister Yingluck told the meeting to focus on nine major points. The first point calls on all agencies to work in an integrated manner and under the same direction, especially the solving of the flood problem. For instance, it happened that some provinces had established embankments to block floodwater from flowing into their areas. However, doing so imposed adverse effects on nearby provinces. So the Prime Minister stressed the need for all provinces to integrate their operations and jointly seek solutions to the problem. In the second point, all agencies have been urged to co-host various projects and promote participation by all sectors, while the third point calls for concerted operations between the central administration and regional administration. In the fourth point, reconciliation and harmonization will be emphasized. In the fifth point, the Prime Minister called for the adoption of Her Majesty the Queen’s advice on drug prevention and control, which has been included in the national agenda. The sixth point seeks to develop children and women and increase the potential of Thai labor for better quality and craftsmanship. This will also prepare Thai workers for the realization of the ASEAN Community in the future. The seventh point seeks to generate income, reduce costs, and expand opportunities for the people. The eight point seeks to promote tourism and the businesses under the “One Tambon, One Product,” or OTOP, program. The objective is to develop OTOP as the pride of the local community. In the ninth point, evaluation will be improved to the point that the satisfaction of the people could be measured effectively. As for provincial clusters, emphasis will be placed on efforts to enhance the competitiveness of each province. Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Surawit Khonsomboon has proposed that video conferences be organized with all provinces to discuss three strategies. The first strategy involves water management, the second one involves road construction and development, and the third strategy is connected with the agricultural system in Thailand. These strategies will be used as the framework for budget allocation in the 2013 fiscal year.