The Cabinet approved draft announcement of the Ministry of Finance on reduction of excise tax (no…) as proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
Gist of the draft announcement is as follows:
The announcement is made for the expansion of reduction of excise tax for diesel oil containing less than 0.005 % of sulphur at the rate of 0.005 baht per litre, and diesel oil containing no less than 4 % of fatty acid methyl esters typed biodiesel at the rate of 0.005 baht per litre, for another month from January 1st, 2013 — January 31st, 2013.
The Cabinet acknowledged the result of poll on what Thai people want in 2013 as proposed by the Ministry of Information and Communication.
Gist as follows:
The Ministry of Information and Communication reported that
The National Statistical Office of Thailand conducted an annual poll on what people want in 2013 by surveying 23,120 people in every province. The data was collected during October 1-12, 2012. The information derived will be beneficial in implementing plans and policies that are responding to actual needs of the people. Details are as follows:
1. The top 5 problems that affect communities/villages during the year 2012 were 1) drugs (34.2 %) 2) flood (26.8 %) 3) endangerment of life and property (25.6 percent) 4) debts (22.4 %) and traffic congestion (18.6 %). The central region and Bangkok were affected from drug problems the most (35.3 and 34.2 %, respectively), while decreasing price of agricultural products affected the southern and the northern regions the most (44.0 and 36.2 %, respectively). Debts scored the highest in the northeastern region at 37.1 %.
2. The top 5 of what most people want the government to do in 2013: 1) solve the problem of high cost of goods (40.9 %); 2) solve debts problem (24.2 %); 3) solve drugs problem (23.1 %); 4) solve traffic congestion (18.1 %); and 5) solve the problem of poverty (18.0 %). What almost 50 % of the people in every region want is for the government to solve the problem of high cost of goods.
3. The top 5 of urgent needs expected of the government as new-year present of 2013 are 1) solution to drugs problem (28.6 %); 2) solution to flood problem (20.9 %); 3) solution to debts (18.5 %); 4) life and property security (16.8 %); and 5) solution to traffic congestion (15.4 %). People in the central region and Bangkok want the government to urgently solve drugs problem (34.1 and 28.6 %, respectively), while people in the northeastern and northern region want the government to urgently solve debts problem the most (32.9 and 32.1 percent, respectively). People from the southern region want the government to pledge the price of agricultural products (39.2 %).
4. Almost half of the people from the survey (49.2 %) indicated that they have confidence in the government to assist/solve problems/develop the country, 20.4 % indicated that they do not have confidence, and 30.4 % are not sure enough to decide. People in the northeastern region have confidence in the government to assist/solve problems/develop the country more than people in other regions (70.1 %), followed by people in the northern region (62.5 %), the central region (58.6 %) and Bangkok (49.1 %). People in the southern region have low confidence (40.5 %) probably due to the local insurgencies.
The Cabinet approved project to increase the production of medical doctors for the years 2013-2017, in order to increase the number of medical doctors to meet the demand in Thailand’s medical services and to solve the problems of insufficiency in doctors especially in the rural areas. The purpose is to produce 9,039 doctors within 5 years: 4,038 doctors under the Increase of number of medical doctors Project by the Ministry of Education and 5,001 doctors for the Increase of number of rural doctors Project which is the cooperation between Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health. Couple with the normal production of 4,780 doctors, the whole scheme will produce 13,819 doctors altogether. For the year 2013, the budget of 30,500,000 Baht has been allocated to produce 562 doctors for the operation of aforementioned project.
The Cabinet agreed and approved the followings suggestions proposed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
1) Agreed on the draft treaty on the transfer of prisoner and cooperation in the enforcement of penal sentences between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Peru (Prisoner Transfer Treaty).
2) Approved the signing of the Treaty by Minister of Foreign Affairs or an authorized official.
3) Approved for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to arrange with Peru on the schedule of the treaty enforcement.
4) Should necessity arise to amend insignificant parts of the draft treaty prior to the signing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can proceed without the Cabinet’s approval.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) December 18, 2012--