The Cabinet met on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at Command Building, Government House. Some of the resolutions are as follows;
Title: Measures to Strengthen Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with Technology and Innovation
The Cabinet approved measures to strengthen small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with technology and innovation, as proposed by Ministry of Science and Technology.
Gist is as follows:
1.1 To develop technology and innovation components of SMEs into a knowledge?-based industry in order to overcome the middle-?income trap economy, reduce social inequality, and improve regional economies for income distribution, which will help increase competitiveness of the industrial sector, as well as have a long?-term impact on the country’s economic development.
1.2 To encourage SMEs to invest more in research and development, and increase the investment of public: private sector to 30:70 per cent.
1.3 To stimulate the development of personnel specializing in science, technology, and innovation who are capable of working with the industrial sector and bringing research into practical use.
1.4 To connect SMEs to knowledge and resources necessary for increasing technological capacities. These resources include experts from universities and specialist research institutes, services provided by the public sector, and funding bodies, in particular the personnel and technologies of organizations under the Ministry of Science and Technology
1.5 To function in line with corporate tax exemption on R&D expenses, and the measure that promote public procurement on Thai? innovated merchandises and services.
Title: Approval Request on Subsidy for the International Rice Research Institute
The Cabinet approved Ministry of Agriculture’s proposal as follows:
1. That Rice Department, Ministry of Agriculture, provide direct financial support to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) from the year 2015 onwards, and that Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, no longer be financially responsible for supporting IRRI through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
2. That the IRRI be subsidized 100,000 U.S. dollars annually, and that Rice Department come up with a corresponding budget (depending on each year’s rate of exchange).
Key benefits from Thailand’s subsidy for IRRI:
1) Thailand will gain the right to participate in determining various policies and uses of the International Rice Research Institute budget in order to benefit Thailand’s rice development.
2) Thailand will gain knowledge, take part in research initiatives, and spread useful information on rice research and development to farmers, government officials, and the private sector. All this will increase Thai rice’s competitiveness, creating its economic value both directly through rice exports and indirectly through the minimization of productivity loss. Moreover, it will also promote Thai researchers and scholars of rice in the international realm.
3) Thailand will gain reputation from helping other countries which need development in rice research and which lack food supplies. As a country capable of providing for its own food supplies, Thailand can help account for the world’s food security.
Title: Development Direction of Yacht and Cruise Ports
The Cabinet acknowledged and approved Ministry of Transportation’s proposal as follows:
1. Acknowledged the progress in the consideration for developing yacht ports and touristic cruise ports.
2. Approved the action plan to develop yacht ports and cruise ports.
3. Assigned Ministry of Transportation, through the Treasury Department, to start the search for investors in the improvement of the Phuket Deep? Sea Port to accommodate touristic cruise ships in the near future.
Specific directions to develop the ports:
3.1 Yacht ports
3.1.1 Conduct a study which determines appropriate locations for new yacht ports, does market sounding, as well as listens to local people’s views.
3.1.2 Modify relevant laws and regulations by the end of 2015 to allow for convenient access of yachts and their crew and passengers.
3.1.3 Organize a major event to support Thailand as the Marina Hub of ASEAN: this event shall happen in Phuket, some time between December 2015 and January 2016, to encourage and foster sea tourism, businesses, as well as the country’s economy in general.
3.2 Cruise ports
3.2.1 First phase (2015) includes the improvement of existing ports:
1) For Bangkok Port and Laem Chabang Port: Port 22A and Port A1, respectively, shall be improved to correspond to cruise ships’ requirements.
2) For Phuket Deep ?Sea Port: there shall quickly be a search for a new port administrator, or an extension of the current administrator’s term in order to modify and develop the Port. ?
3.2.2 Second phase (2015? – 2022) includes the development of new cruise ports in Krabi and Koh Samui, in order to promote Thailand to be the home port for cruise ships in the region. Development includes (1) the cruise ports, (2) port administrators, (3) administrative structures, services, and procedures, (4) tourist marketing.
These new cruise ports shall be capable of responding to tourists’ various demands, both those who travel by sea and by air, so that Thailand could become the regional home port capable of connecting all means of travel together and to tourist attractions. Tourist services need also to correspond to customers with high purchasing power. Factors to keep in mind include physical, engineering, and environmental appropriateness; the capacity to receive internationally?-standard?ized cruise ships; bureaucratic expeditiousness (One-?Stop Service). The goal to be achieved is to extend the stay of cruise ships in Krabi and Koh Samui, from the average of 1 day to 2 days within 5 years, and to 2.5 – ?3 days within 10 years.
Title: Minutes of Cabinet Meeting of Mekong Cooperation and Partner Countries for Development and Draft Joint Statement of Cabinet Meeting on 8th Mekong Initiative
The cabinet agreed on and approved proposals of Ministry of Foreign Affairs as follows:
The cabinet agreed on the following 6 drafts:
1.1 Draft statement on building a sustainable future for Mekong basin
1.2 Draft plan of action for lower Mekong initiative 2015 – 2020
1.3 Draft statement of the chair of the 8th Mekong-Japan foreign affairs ministers meeting
1.4 Draft Mekong-Japan plan of action for new Tokyo Strategy 2015
1.5 Draft statement of the chair of the 5th Mekong-Republic of Korea joint cabinet meeting
1.6 Draft joint statement of the 8th cabinet meeting on Mekong initiative
1. The cabinet allowed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs or an authorized official to co-endorse the aforementioned 6 drafts.
2. In case of necessary but insignificant amendments to the drafts that are not against public interest, Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall proceed without proposing to the cabinet for consideration.
Title: Request for Consent to Draft Resolutions of the 48th ASEAN Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting and Associated Ministers Meeting
The cabinet agreed on and approved proposals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as follows:
1. The cabinet agreed on draft resolutions of the 48th ASEAN foreign affairs ministers meeting and associated ministers meeting. In case of necessary but insignificant amendments to the drafts that are not against the public interest, the ministry of foreign affairs is entitled to proceed without proposing to the cabinet for consideration.
2. The cabinet allowed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs or an authorized official to co-endorse the aforementioned draft.
Some of the resolutions reported by the ministry of foreign affairs are as follows:
1. The draft resolutions of the meeting reflects political intention of ASEAN countries and partner countries on various important issues without words or contexts that lead to international obligations. Also, there will be no contract signing. The draft, therefore, is neither a treaty according to the international law, nor a contract according to Section 23 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557
2. Joint approval of the draft resolutions of the meeting reflects determination and readiness of Thailand in supporting any ASEAN matters. It strengthens international relations with partner countries in various aspects. Also, it enhances stability and economic benefits of Thailand and promotes cooperation in coping with challenges that affect Thailand and the overall region.
--Cabinet Meeting (Prayut Chan-o-cha) July 28, 2015--