The cabinet meeting on Tuesday 17, August 2010 has come to the following decision:
The Cabinet passed the draft of Bill of Civil Service Commission to pay salary for civil servants (Number....) Year .... as the Office of Civil Commission proposed.
1. The Prime Minister (Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva) has made a request to set a budget for fiscal year 2554 to improve payment in order to increase motivation, and thus, to retain good and able personnel to work for civil service and to heighten income and life standard of government employees.
2. In the 7/2553 conference on Monday July 12th 2010, Office of Civil Service Commission reached the conclusion to propose to the Cabinet to consider adjusting minimal and maximal salary of civil servants and adjust their salary in a newly updated account. This will be enforced from April 1st 2554.
3. Before implementing the above, the Act on Civil Service concerning civil servants’ income 2552 was used to pay the salary of position holders as general type, senior type, and qualified academic type. This is to make sure those civil servants get an income according to number 2.
In the 7/2553 conference on Monday July 12th 2010, Office of Civil Service Commission reached the conclusion to change the Act of Civil Service Commission about paying civil servants 2551 in the part to pay the salary of position holders as general type, senior type, and qualified academic type.
The Cabinet agreed to use the center budget as advance money in an emergency to assist aquatic animal farmers who suffer from the disease outbreak (oysters die off the outbreak of Turbellarian) in the provinces of Krabi and Petchaburi. The aid in total of 23,157,3573 baht is paid via Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative (BAAC) to pay at the Department of Fisheries as the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative proposed. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative was assigned to provide more details for the Bureau of Budget and to conduct in accordance with the relevant rules.
Main Point
Damage examination was conducted according to ministerial regulations about paying advance government money to help victims in case of emergency year 2546 and new adjustment (the second copy) year 2549, the principles and procedures to help victims in case of emergency year 2551, and the principles and procedures in minor matters about assisting agriculturists who encounter emergent disasters year 2552
The Cabinet endorsed to use center budget to adjust entry point salary as the Office of Civil Service Commission proposed.
Main Point
1. Problem Condition: the ability to retain good and able personnel in governmental sections has continuously dropped. One of the main causes of this problem comes from the fact that the entry point salary is so much lower than private sectors’, the lack of flexibilities and varieties of entry point salary, and the better ability of bigger private sectors.
2. Fact
2.1 The ability to appeal to good and able personnel has dropped as seen from the number of applicants section A. The majority of those applicants’ average age is higher than new bachelor graduates, and they are then employed, more than half of them by private sectors, the other half applied to change positions, and there is only 5% of the applicants are from highly competitive universities.
2.2 The starting salary in governmental sector is much lower than in private sectors, especially the positions that initiate bachelor graduates.
2.3 When comparing starting salary and money to raise life standard in governmental sectors, the income is still lower than private sectors, except the income of the positions lower than bachelor graduate in commercial positions.
2.4 The starting salary in private sector has more flexibilities and varieties considering from learning institutes, fields of study, and the qualifications of applicants, while in governmental sectors, the employees are paid in the same rate.
2.5 The frequency to adjust salary is not often, by the average of 3 years and 8 months once, while in private sectors the minimum pay will be adjusted yearly.
2.6 The ability to appeal and retain good and able personnel in governmental sectors is inclined to decrease as the increasing number and ability of competitors. The number of big companies from 2507 to 2550 increases by the average of 114 per year. Number and ability of competitors increase every year because of the invasion of foreign companies in ASEAN as an effect of ASEAN Charter.
2.7 The government failed to resolve the problem of inadequate salary for new civil servants to live their lives, including those who get paid lower than 11,700 baht per month
3. Proposal
3.1 Objectives: to increase the ability to keep good and able personnel in governmental sectors by adjusting entry point salary, adjust salary more often, and increase flexibilities and varieties in the entry point salary.
3.2 Aim: to adjust salary at entry point to get nearer that of private sectors within the period of 5 years and use the flexible and various starting salary system within fiscal year 2554.
3.3 Procedure:
(1) Adjust salary at entry point more frequently by assigning the Office of Civil Service Commission to propose salary adjustment every year. When paying rate gets closer to private sectors, the salary at entry point between governmental and private sectors will be compared. If seen better to adjust, the Office of Civil Service Commission will propose for adjustment.
(2) In the beginning, increase salary at entry point to decrease the gap between the governmental and private sectors approximately 50% from the gap in the past.
(3) Determine starting salary in period by giving minimum and maximum starting salary has the gap less than 10%.
(4) Assign governmental sector to consider paying not lower than minimum starting salary and not higher than maximum starting salary according to the principles and procedures that the Office of Civil Service Commission stated
(5) The Office of Civil Service was assigned to examine and report civil service in case the pay rate does not go along with principles and procedures that the Office of Civil Service Commission stated, in order that it can stop the governmental sectors to pay higher than minimum starting salary.
(6) Office of Civil Servant Commission propose to consider
Studies about difference of salary rate at entry point between governmental and private sectors yearly. In case the Office of Civil Service Commission think suitable to adjust, they can propose for consideration.
Results of the study of starting salary system being used in governmental sectors.
The Cabinet agreed on the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board’s two proposals as follows
1. Agreed on ministerial joint communiqu among 6 countries in the basin of the Mekong and 6 documents in order that Thai GMS Minister (the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey) approve in the 16th ministerial conference among 6 countries in the basin of Mekong River on August 19th, 2553.
2. Agreed to have the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board improve wordings in the ministerial joint communiqu in case not in the essence of the conference in order to improve the draft of the ministerial joint communiqu on August 18th, 2553 and the senior authorities conference on August 19th, 2553.
1. The Cabinet agreed on the essence of Bangkok declaration draft about eco-friendly transportations before approving Bangkok declaration draft about eco-friendly transportations without signature in the 5th international conference about eco-friendly transportation from 23-25 August, 2553 in Bangkok.
2. The Cabinet assigned the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment the chairperson to approve Bangkok declaration draft about eco-friendly transportations without signature and allow him to edit the wordings if suitable. And when the conference was over, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will present the conference report and the approval of Bangkok declaration draft about eco-friendly transportations to the Cabinet.
The Cabinet was informed about the 3rd Asia-Middle East Dialogue as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed.
Expected results from AMED III
As Middle East region is a big capital and energy resource for Thailand, the economic advantages have become the main goal in the AMED III. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects that policy proposal gained from consulting and other parallel activities will lead to exporting Thai products to the Middle East market, including attracting investors from the Middle East region, cooperation about food and energy in a more concrete way.
Apart from the advantage within the frame of AMED, the 3rd AMED gives Thailand a chance to strengthen the relationship with AMED members in bilateral level, especially the countries that have small relationship with us, because of distance or no embassy of Thailand in them. We can optimize this opportunity to open and strengthen the relationship to support cooperation in many ways.
AMED III is not only a great opportunity to push on Thailand’s benefits, but a chance to build trust from the world community about domestic situation by showing our readiness to welcome highly dignified delegates from more than 50 nations worldwide, and a large scale conference organization will prove that Thailand has returned to normal status after political conflicts in the past months. Furthermore, the AMED III will also encourage tourism industry and distribute income to business affected by the political conflicts.
--Cabinet Meeting (Abhisit Vejjajiva) August 17, 2010--