The new cabinet will hold a special meeting on Saturday to prepare a statement outlining the government’s policy stance after all 35 cabinet ministers were officially sworn into office on Friday.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra led the cabinet ministers in taking the oath of office before His Majesty the King at Ambara Villa in the Dusit Palace on Friday.
Ms Paetongtarn will declare the new government’s policy statement before parliament on Sept 12-13 and officially begin her role on Sept 16, with the first cabinet meeting scheduled for Sept 17.
The government is required to present its policy statement to parliament before starting work.
Ms Paetongtarn previously said she would consider policy proposals from other coalition parties for inclusion in the policy statement, which she hoped to finish by the end of the week.
Top of the government’s agenda is the Pheu Thai Party’s flagship digital wallet handout scheme, which is expected to be rolled out before the end of the 2024 fiscal year on Sept 30, according to government sources.
A supplementary bill seeking to increase the budget for the current fiscal year by 122 billion baht to partially fund the scheme has already been passed by parliament.
However, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat previously admitted that the handout programme needed adjustments, which would include giving cash instead of digital money to some recipients.
Other policies include improving people’s quality of life, increasing the prices of agricultural produce, and cracking down on drugs.
As for long-term policies, they include the construction of entertainment complexes which include casinos, as well as a water management project to combat persistent flooding and drought.
Last month, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, widely believed to be Pheu Thai’s de facto leader, told a local forum the new government needed to undertake a number of “megaprojects” during its term, including the entertainment complex.
During the forum, Thaksin emphasised the need to address the country’s chronic flooding and drought problems.
Some argued his speech was nothing more than an abridged version of the policy statement the government would deliver in parliament.
However, the policies dealing with political issues, such as amending the charter and any attempts to include lese majeste on the list of offences that would be pardoned under a political amnesty bill, will be put on the back burner as the new government will focus primarily on tackling economic woes, the sources said.
According to the sources, Justice Minister and Prachachat Party leader Pol Col Tawee Sodsong yesterday presented the party’s policy proposal for inclusion in the statement.
They include tackling unrest in the deep South by promoting peaceful co-existence in a multicultural society, improving education for local residents, supporting peace negotiations with the participation of locals, and upgrading people’s quality of life.
The sources said Ms Paetongtarn has already divided up the work among six deputy prime ministers.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will oversee the Royal Thai Police as well as the Department of Special Investigation, while Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit will oversee the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Culture Ministry and the Public Health Ministry.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira will oversee the Commerce Ministry, the Budget Bureau, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry.