The cabinet meeting on Tuesday 09, June 2009 has come to the following decisions:
The Cabinet acknowledged the signing of the notes exchanged between the government of Thailand and the government of Japan on financial cooperation, as well as the signing of the agreement on loans from the Japanese government for the Red Line rail project (Bangsue-Rangsit leg). The Cabinet assigned the Council of State present legal viewpoints for the loan agreement, as proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Finance reported to the Cabinet about the exchange of notes between the Minister of Finance (assigned Deputy Minister of Finance), on behalf of the Thai government, and the Ambassador of Japan, on behalf of the Japanese government, as well as the loan agreement signed by the Deputy Minister of Finance and Mr. Katsuji Onoda, Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Thailand on behalf of JICA on 30 March 2009 for the Red Line rail project in the outskirt of Bangkok (State Railway of Thailand project), costing 63,018 million yen. The substance and criteria of the exchanged notes and loan agreement are in accordance with the details approved by the Cabinet.
The Cabinet approved the expedition of cooperation for transport of cross-border and transit goods between Thailand and Cambodia and Thailand and Malaysia, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Commerce. The Cabinet assigned related agencies to begin negotiations on this matter at the earliest, as proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Board. The Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Board reported to the Cabinet that the Ministry of Commerce had transferred the matter to the National Economic and Social Development Board, with the following details : The Ministry of Commerce will host a Joint Trade Committee meeting between Thailand and Cambodia and Thailand and Malaysia to solve pending matters, namely on negotiation framework and amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding
1. the 3rd Joint Trade Committee between Thailand and Cambodia in September 2009 will include an agenda on solving problems and obstacles to expand trade and investment between the two countries, such as on logistics. The assignment should be given to the Ministry of Transport to expedite the negotiations to improve the Memorandum of Understanding on Traffic Right of Way on roads between Thailand and Cambodia, on the quota of trucks allowed to enter Cambodia, before the Joint Trade Committee meeting.
2. the 2nd Joint Trade Committee between Thailand and Malaysia this December will include an important agenda on solving problems and obstacles to expand trade and investment between the two countries, such as on logistics. The assignment should be given to the Ministry of Transport to expedite the consideration of the Malaysian proposal (MOU on transport of goods and passengers by road and rail en route to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, before the Joint Trade Committee Meeting.
The Cabinet approved two issues as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as follows :
1. Approved for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to be the head of the Thai delegation in the Thai side of the committee on economic, trade and technical cooperation between the government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the United Arab Emirates
2. Approved the criteria for the membership and duties of the Thai side of the committee on economic, trade and technical cooperation between the government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall be the Chair of the Committee and the Director-General of the Department of South Asia, Middle East and Africa as committee member and secretariat. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may change the members of the committee as it sees fit and according to the substance of the meeting.
The Cabinet acknowledged the following, as presented by the Ministry of Public Health :
1. the preventive strategies are as follows :Situation A (infected persons travel to Thailand) The goal would be to prevent the spread of the virus in Thailand. The main strategies would be to screen incoming passengers, monitor cases and search for infected persons, effectively provide nursing and medical treatment, monitor those in contact with infected persons, conduct public health awareness campaigns to convey possible risks and build a health culture to prevent the spread of the virus, and prepare for possible elevation to Situation B. Situation B (limited spread of pandemic) The goal would be to control the pandemic in the country in the smallest possible area. The main strategies would be to monitor the pandemic, search for infected persons and those in contact with the infected, provide nursing and medical attention to affected persons and advise on home nursing, conduct public health awareness campaigns to convey possible risks and build a health culture to prevent the spread of the virus, focus on social and community measures and prepare for possible elevation to Situation C. Situation C (widespread pandemic in the country) The goal would be to prioritise alleviation of impact and effects of the pandemic on the country. The main strategies would be to provide nursing and medical attention to affected persons and advise on home nursing, conduct public health awareness campaigns for control of the pandemic such as through travel restrictions, public relations and supporting good psychological health, maintaining adequate infrastructure and basic living needs so that the people’s livelihood will be as close to normal as possible.
2. Request cooperation from all government agencies and state enterprises to implement measures to control the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) in accordance with Thailand’s national strategy on the prevention and solving of the pandemic, including to draft a plan for the continuation of the agency’s normal functions and conduct practice sessions in that regard.
3. Request cooperation from government agencies to support implementation of No. 2 to expedite protection against the influenza in a timely manner, especially in populations that congregate and therefore are risk groups. Examples include : request Ministry of education to conduct a campaign during the beginning of the school year to include school and educational institutions around the country, request the Ministry of Labour to conduct similar campaigns in factories around the country in the next 2-3 months, and request the Department of Public Relations, Office of the Prime Minister, to set up a plan to disseminate information on prevention of the influenza.
4. Request cooperation from government agencies and state enterprises to report monthly to the Committee on Prevention and Control of the Influenza Pandemic on progress of their implementations according to the strategies set.
--Cabinet Meeting (Abhisit Vejjajiva) June 9, 2009--