Title: Income generation and agricultural development project for communities as part of drought mitigation
The Cabinet approved the income generation and agricultural development project for communities as part of drought mitigation as proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
1. Key principles: The project will help generate income for farmers affected by drought crisis and create opportunities for farming communities to develop agricultural infrastructure and improve local production efficiency. Communities will determine the activities to be implemented in response to their needs, and will manage the project to achieve successful outcomes leading to sustainable agricultural development.
2. Objectives: To generate income for farmers and their farming communities during the dry season, and to develop agricultural infrastructure and improve production efficiency of communities for the purpose of drought mitigation in the long run.
3. Goals and operating areas covered: Agricultural areas predicted to suffer drought effects in the 2014/2015 season covering 3,052 sub-districts in 58 provinces, based on the 2015 list for drought-affected agricultural areas made under the plan to handle agricultural disasters for the fiscal year 2015.
Title: Two-month report for mobilization and implementation of Government policies (between September 12 and November 30, 2014)
The Cabinet was reported on the mobilization and implementation of Government policies in the two-month round (between September 12 and November 30, 2014) by the committee for Government policies mobilization and implementation.
Gist of the two-month report for mobilization and implementation of Government policies (between September 12 and November 30, 2014) is as follows:
1. Promotion of reconciliation
2. National reform
3. State administration covering 1) protection of the monarchy, 2) Maintenance of state and overseas security, 3) transnational crime solutions, and 4) drug solutions
3.3 Reducing social inequality: 1) creating opportunities, careers and stable income, 2) solving public plights, and 3) developing/promoting savings
3.4 Education and learning, and maintaining religion, art and culture: 1) upgrading education quality and developing students and educational institutions, 2) promoting life-long learning, 3) implementing projects to build unity in society based on Buddhist principles, and 4) preserving, inheriting, and developing cultural heritages
3.5 Improving public health services and people’s health: 1) laying foundation for a comprehensive health security system that effectively covers people in all sectors, 2) developing health services, 3) preventing and solving road accidents which lead to injuries and deaths, and 4) preventing and solving teen pregnancy, medical problems as well as ethical issues regarding surrogacy, organ transplants, and stem cells
3.6 Economic administration: 1) Outcome of budget disbursement expedition, 2) promoting investment, 3) managing government debts arising during the term of the previous government, and 4) developing infrastructure
3.7 Promoting roles and opportunities in ASEAN Community: 1) promoting economic, trade, and investment connectivity in ASEAN, 2) developing competitiveness of Thai businesses and Thai labor in the industrial sector
3.8 Developing and promoting utilization of science and technology, research and development, and innovation, and promoting increase of the country’s R&D budget: 1) measures supporting R&D investment through the mechanism of BOI, 2) The Ministry of Science and Technology joining hands with the Federation of Thai Industries
3.9 Maintaining base resources and creating balance between conservation and sustainable utilization of resources: 1) protecting and rehabilitating forest and wild animal conservation areas, 2) solving drought crisis, 3) controlling air, garbage, and waste water pollution caused by production and consumption to build good environment for people
3.10 Promoting good governance, and preventing and suppressing government corruption and misbehaviors: 1) improving government system, 2) decentralizing power to expand people’s accessibility to public services in a fast, economical and convenient manner, and 3) implanting morals and ethics among government officers
3.11 Amending laws and judicial procedure: 1) amending outdated laws, 2) utilizing modern forensic science knowledge and technology
Title: Six-month extension for travel cost reduction measures from February 1 to July 31, 2015
The Cabinet granted the following approvals as proposed by the Ministry of Finance:
1. The measures for reduction of travel cost will be extended for six more months, from February 1 to July 31, 2015 with a total subsidy worth 2.113 billion Baht. These include the free bus service measure operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the free third-class train service measure operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
2. The Cabinet stressed that the Ministry of Transport should accelerate finalization of new measures which will provide free conditional services to specific groups of people. The Ministry should also be well-prepared to implement the new measures in a sustainable and efficient manner. The measures must be submitted to the Cabinet for its approval and commence operation within August 1, 2015.
Title: Approval on implementation and signature of agreement between the government of Thailand and the government of Uzbekistan
The Cabinet granted the following approvals as proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports:
1. Implementation and signature of an agreement between the government of Thailand and the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on tourism cooperation.
2. Authorization of the Minister of Tourism and Sports as the signatory of the agreement between the Thai government and the government of Uzbekistan.
3. Approval for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a full power to the abovementioned signatory to sign the agreement.
Title: Extraordinary Friends of the Lower Mekong Initiative Sub-cabinet Level Meeting on Mekong Sustainability
The Cabinet granted the following approvals as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
1. Approval for the draft joint statement of the Extraordinary Friends of the Lower Mekong Initiative Sub-cabinet Level Meeting on Mekong Sustainability
2. Approval for the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs or the representative to lead the Thai delegation in attending the meeting and acknowledge the joint statement/
3. For any necessary amendments of the joint statement that are not the main point or will not compromise the benefits of Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is authorized to proceed without seeking another Cabinet’s approval.
--Cabinet Meeting (Prayut Chan-o-cha) January 27, 2015--