The Cabinet considered the drafted Ninth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2002-2006) before it would be proposed to the National Economic and Social Advisory Council. The Cabnet Suggested that the Ninth Plan should be practical, flexible and had concrete emphasises. In the formulation process, there should be a priority setting as well as strengths and weaknesses. Each strategy should be practical, linked and relevant to the government policy and the budget allocation.
The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) held the meeting of the Cabi- net, members of the National Economic and Social Development Board and experts in various fields on the topic of "Consideration of the Drafted Ninth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2002-2006)", on June 4, 2001, at the Government House.
The Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, said in the opening speech that the objectives of the meeting were to make the Ninth Plan more completed and been practical. The process of translating the Plan into action was also considered, for example, making a mutual understanding of all sectors-the public sector, the private sector, and the people; setting a framework of budget allocation during thefive year Plan period; and con- tinuous monitoring and evaluating.
Moreover, the substances of the Ninth Plan and the main government policies were compatible, for example, reducing poverty, strengthening the economy at the grass-root level, enhancing good governance in Thai society, eradicating corruption and narcotic problems, and restructuring economic and social sectors in order to increase potentials for economic competitiveness and preparedness for the free trade.
The meeting was productive and the results were as followed;
- Characteristics of the Ninth Plan should be;-
1. Being practical and suitable for Thailand.
2. Being flexible and able to adjust to the rapidly changing situation.
3. Having concrete emphasises to facilitate the budget allocation under the limited resources.
- Trends of the long term national development
The members approved of using "Sufficiency Economy" as the main philosophy in developing Thai society to be a "strong and balancing society" in three aspects; quality society; wisdom and learning society; and harmonious society so that it would lead to "sustainable development and well-being of the Thai people".
- Trends of the national development in the next 5 years should emphasized on;-
1. Solving economic problems and rehabilitation especially the economy at the grass-root level. Creating stability and self-reliance under the globalization.
2. Alleviating poverty.
3. Increase economic competitiveness. However, target setting in the Ninth Plan should be practical, particularly those of poverty reduction and economic growth.
- Strategieslissues needed to be articulated
1. Setting concrete future positions of the country in order to raise the tempo for globalization.
2. Integrating certain issues in the information technology infrastructure, the human resource development and the government management.
Furthermore, the following issues should be concentrated;
- The national development strategies should be precise, concrete and set priority that led to prosperity by creating economic growth at every level. In addition, the government should play a major role in supporting the economy at the grass-root level to create the readiness.
- Under the strategy of developing economic competitiveness, international standards should be used as a framework for improving the stengths and weaknesses of the country to create competitive potentials in the long term.
- The formulation of the development guidelines should be related to those in concerning strategies and be practical.
- The linkages among the Ninth Plan, government policies and the budget allocation would be the important condition for creating mutual uderstanding in the direction of the national development among the public and private sectors and the people that would be enabling for the translatiing the Plan into action.
Translating the Plan into action
1. Foumulating specific plans and action plans at every level that were relevant to the Ninth plan.
2. Adjusting the budget allocation system to be result-based system.
3. Creating the cooperation between the public and private sectors.
The next step of the implementation
NESDB would adjust the drafted Ninth Plan according to the suggestions from this meeting, and propose the draft to the National Economic and Social Development Advisory Council. Then, it would be proposed to the Cabinet for the approval before proposed to His Majesty the King. The Ninth Plan would be enforced from October 1, 2001 onward.
Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 18, No. 6 : June 2001 End.
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