Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has cited reform efforts as one of major tasks to be carried out by the Government and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in 2016.

 

In his weekly national address on 8 January 2016, the Prime Minister gave a briefing on the Government’s major tasks, which are divided into six groups: work that must produce effective results during the term of the Government; political and security matters; a 20-year strategy; necessary measures to develop Thailand as a peaceful and safe society; the first stage of education reform; and national reconciliation.

 

The six groups have been introduced in line with a reform plan, Thailand’s 20-year strategic plan, and the 12th to the 15th National Economic and Social Development Plans.

 

The reform issue is on the list of work that must produce effective results during the term of this administration. The Prime Minister explained that the first phase of reform began when NCPO took over the control of national administration in May 2014. The Government has been joining hands with the National Reform Steering Assembly in working out the reform plan, based on the guidelines set by the National Reform Council, which was dissolved and replaced by the National Reform Steering Assembly in October 2015.

 

He said that national reform would be completed within a 20-year period. This administration would pass the second phase of reform to the next government to handle.

 

In moving the country forward in the next step, the Prime Minister said that all sectors must be strengthened and developed on a sustainable basis. The reform efforts aim to solve the country’s major problems and ease social conflicts. Although law is a tool to tackle conflicts, cooperation from all groups of people is also needed. In this regard, he urged everyone to reform themselves first, starting from their families to their organizations. The rule of law must be respected and the public, private, and civic sectors must cooperate, so that the concept of "Pracharat,” or "state of the people,” would be possible.

 

Other urgent issues that must be handled by the Government include encroachment into public land and forest areas, forest rehabilitation, and the establishment of economic and community forests and the food bank. Farmland must also be allocated to some groups of people legally as a way of tackling the encroachment problem.

 

The Prime Minister also cited problems concerning illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human trafficking, and aviation safety standards as more of the country’s important issues. These problems must be brought under control. Some issues might take time to be settled, but this administration has taken the first step to settle them on a sustainable basis.