The cabinet met on Tuesday, February 5, 2013. Some of the decisions are as follows:
The Cabinet approved a draft Act on Reorganization of Ministries, Sub-Ministries and Departments (No. ...) B.E. ... (Establishment of Trade Policy and Strategy Office, Ministry of Commerce) as suggested by the Ministry of Commerce and ordered the Office of the Council of State to examine the draft and to forward it to the collaborative council of the House of Representatives for consideration before proposing to the House of Representatives.
Gist of the draft Act
Amendments of Act on Reorganization of Ministries, Sub-Ministries and Departments B.E. 2545
1) Add (10) in section 29 to establish the Trade Policy and Strategy Office. The Office is at the departmental level under the Ministry of Commerce.
2) Transfer duties and responsibilities of Bureau of Trade and Economic Indices, and the Bureau’s businesses, properties, budgets, rights, debts and obligations on a case-by-case basis. Transfer duties and authority of the Office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Commerce with regard to the regulations, laws, announcements, orders or the Cabinet’s resolutions.
3) transfer designated number of civil servants, officers, employers and positions of Office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Commerce, Department of Foreign Trade, Department of Internal Trade, Department of Trade Negotiations, Department of Export Promotion, Department of Business Development and Department of Intellectual Property to Trade Policy and Strategy Office.
The Cabinet acknowledged and agreed with the following points proposed by the Ministry of Finance:
1. Acknowledged restructuring of foreign debts of state enterprises. The Ministry of Finance is to proceed with a loan to pay for the debts that were insured by the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the state enterprises.
2. Agreed with the acquisition of loan by Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to pay for the remaining balance of debts and other related expenses not being able to be covered by the Ministry of Finance
3. agreed for the Bureau of the Budget to distribute an annual budget for MRTA for its direct debt payment, including loan principal, interest and other relating expenses incurred from debts restructuring and payment for the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line Project.
The Cabinet acknowledged Integration of Frameworks/Projects for the operation plan of item 8 of the national strategy (research and development), following the suggestion from the Ministry of Science and Technology, and ordered the Ministry of Science and Technology to expedite the operation plan to be forward to Office of the National Economics and Social Development Board.
8.1 Expense Mobility for research and development accounts for 1 per cent of GDP and aims at jobs and income generation, preparation for future, development of life and establishment of knowledge. There are 44 plans under the scheme.
8.2 Talent Mobility concerning human resources on science and technology which aims to solve the problem of research and development human resources shortage and to development researchers to supply the demands from the production sector. There is 1 plan under the scheme.
8.3 Utilization of the Regional Science Park which aims to develop business owner’s capacity, private sectors’ and industries’ competition, to support and develop technology and to adopt research results in commercial uses. There is 1 plan under the scheme.
All 46 frameworks will support both the Ministry’s and the provincial works.
The Cabinet agreed and approved the proposal from the Ministry of Commerce. The details are as follows:
1. Agreed with the nomination of Mr. Krisada Piempongsarn to be the candidate from Thailand for the selection of Executive Director of International Trade Center (ITC).
2. Approved for the Ministry of Commerce to nominate Mr. Krisada as the Thai-Government supported nominee for the position of Executive Direction of ITC.
3. Assigned Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate and support Mr. Krisada’s omination.
Gist
The Ministry of Commerce reported that Permanent Representative of Thailand to the WTO informed that ITC, an organization under the co-supervision of United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and World Trade Organization (WTO), is now announcing the application of a new Executive Director as the current Executive Director (Ms. Patricia R. Francis from Jamaica)’s term is due in June 2013. The Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi and the Director-General of WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy, will make decision for the aforementioned position. The announcement of the selection will be revealed in March 2013.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) February 5, 2013--