Plan to attack poverty

Plan to attack poverty.

Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and Industry Minister Kosit Panpiemras have come up with a strategy to solve the country's problems of poverty.

After meeting for an hour at the Industry Ministry yesterday, they agreed to draw up a model scheme to provide a good standard of living for communities in line with His Majesty the King's philosophy of sufficiency economy. He said this strategy would be implemented by the Interior Ministry, the Internal Security Operations Command and regional and provincial administrative agencies.

As there are only nine months left for the interim government, the structure of this model is to be completed this month, Kosit said.

The strategy would not focus on allocating areas for families but it would instead estimate income and expenditure. In addition, it would focus on educating local people about how to reduce their costs.

On the other hand, he said, it would also provide job opportunities for them. He added it would not focus only on the agricultural sector because most farmers are older people. He would, however, talk to vocational colleges to provide those affected with alternative occupations such as Otop projects.

Kosit also said Sonthi and he had not discussed rumours of any changes to the Cabinet. - Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul, The Nation

The Nation
Thursday January 11, 2007