Approval on Draft Act on National Committee for Digital Economy and Society, B.E. ... and Draft Act on Organization of Ministries, Sub-Ministries and Departments (No. ….), B.E. ...
The Cabinet resolved to approve the Draft Act on National Committee for Digital Economy and Society, B.E. …. and the Draft Act on Organization of Ministries, Sub-Ministries and Departments (No….), B.E. ... as proposed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
Gist of the Draft Act on National Committee for Digital Economy and Society, B.E. ... was the appointment of the National Committee for Digital Economy and Society chaired by the Prime Minister. The committee would oversee the policymaking and planning of the country’s direction toward digital economy. A national agenda would be set up on digital economy, focusing on laying the foundation and providing factors that support digital economy development in five areas: Hard Infrastructure, Soft Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Economy Promotion, and Digital Society and Knowledge.
Gist of the Draft Act on Organization of Ministries, Sub-Ministries and Departments (No. ....), B.E. ... was the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, renamed from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. The establishment would allow the ministry to cover tasks regarding development of digital economy. There would be five administrative agencies under the ministry, namely the Office of the Minister, the Office of the Permanent Secretary, the Office of the Digital Economy, the Meteorological Department, and the National Statistical Office.
Activities for His Majesty the King during the auspicious month of December 2014
The Cabinet acknowledged the organizing of an activity to glorify His Majesty the King in the auspicious month of December 2014, which would also be a New Year present to the Thai people, as proposed by the Ministry of Commerce. Gist is as follows.
The Ministry of Commerce has been organizing activities as tribute to His Majesty the King in the auspicious month of December 2014 and as a New Year present to the Thai people through collaboration with other agencies and the private sector. There were eight following activities:
1. A grand New Year merit ceremony to be held during December 20-21, 2014 at Mueang Nonthaburi District
2. A trade fair offering big discount as a New Year present for the Thai people to be held during December 24-.0, 2014
3. Thailand Online Mega Sale 2015 during December 15-30, 2014
4. Thai Commerce Store held from November 20 onward
5. The opening of “Thailand National Trade Repository” as well as its website on November 27, 2014
6. An AFET fair to boost liquidity to be held from January 1, 2015 by the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand
7. An extension for requests of documents and certificates for processing customs formalities as from December 1 to 30, 2014 to facilitate business operators
8. A Mobile Unit and a subsidy on intellectual property registration fees during December 2014-July 2015 in 16 target provinces.
Approval on drafting and signing MOU on academic collaboration on water resources and irrigation between Thailand and China
The Cabinet approved the following proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives:
The outlining and singing of an MOU on academic collaboration on water resources and irrigation between Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China. The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives or his delegate was authorized as signatory of the MOU.
The MOU on Thailand-China water resources and irrigation aimed at promoting academic collaboration in the fields of water resources and irrigation between the two countries. The cooperative framework covered sustainable protection and management of water resources, dam management and construction, impacts and measures to handle impacts from climate change on water resources, flood control and disaster mitigation, soil and water conservation, irrigation and drainage, coordination and cooperation regarding water-related activities at an international level, and cooperation on other subjects mutually interested by both parties. Thailand and China had discussed and agreed to the draft MOU.
Appointment of GMS Minister, documents requiring acknowledgement at the 5th GMS Summit, and budget for the 5th GMS Summit
The Office of the Nation Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) obtained the following Cabinet approvals:
1. Approval for the appointment of the Deputy Minister of Transport and Secretary General of the National Economic and Social Development Board (Mr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith) as GMS Minister to oversee regulation of Thailand’s implementations under the GMS cooperation, as well as to serve as head of the Thai delegation in ministerial conferences; and
2. Approval for documents to be acknowledged at the 5th GMS Summit to be held during December 19-20, 2014 at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, namely (1) the 5th GMS Summit Joint Declaration (JSD), and (2) the Regional Investment Framework-Implementation Plan (RIF-IP).
Gist of the Regional Investment Framework-Implementation Plan (RIF-IP): The RIF-IP for the Mekong Sub-region determines high-priority projects to be implemented during 2014-2018. Among the total 92 high-priority projects, 60 are investment projects and 32 are technical support projects, all requiring a budget of 30.1 billion US dollars. The budget required for transport investment accounts for the largest proportion of the total budget for all investment projects (89.0%), reflecting a high demand from the GMS countries for development of transport networks, especially those along the economic corridor.
--Cabinet Meeting (Prayut Chan-o-cha) December 16, 2014--