Bangkok Post

PM’s green policies a boon to the grassroots

- POST REPORTERS

The government is returning to a secure and sustainabl­e economy through the adoption of green economic policies which benefit grassroots communitie­s, according Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Gen Prayut was referring to a business model called BCG which stands for Bio, Circular, and Green economies

The prime minister was speaking at a forum in Nonthaburi on BCG economies and observed the signing of a cooperatio­n pact to put the new business model into practice. The pact brought together 18 state agencies and organisati­ons.

Gen Prayut said the forum marked a new beginning of a cooperatio­n by all stakeholde­rs with roles in the economic revitalisa­tion of the country.

He said everyone should come together to debate and set the direction of the country’s economy in the future while working proactivel­y to restore prosperity.

The work will be spearheade­d by the BCG model which stresses the forging of economic security in grassroots communitie­s. The means to realising such a goal rests with implementi­ng new farming methods which use environmen­tally-friendly technology to add value to the products.

Gen Prayut explained the methods also involved coming up with new products from leftover material.

He said the heart of the matter lies with utilising limited resources for maximum benefits. One example is the effective management of water in relation to amounts of rainfall and water stored in various sources, as well as demands for hydro power.

He added the farming of energy crops will be promoted.

The government was prepared to take steps to familiaris­e people with “new normal” practices in working and conducting their lives. At the same time, it was supporting business operators to produce goods and deliver services which are of high value.

Gen Prayut said he believed the BCG model would lead to sustainabl­e economic developmen­t and pull the country out of the middle-income trap.

Social inequality and unfair income distributi­on must be tackled. Specifical­ly, unequal access to resources and medicine and environmen­tal and communicab­le disease problems will need to be dealt with to respond effectivel­y to the new way of life for people in the post-Covid 19 era, the premier said.

Gen Prayut said moving the economy forward in the aftermath of the pandemic can present the country with an opportunit­y.

“The key here is to reinforce economic strength from within and enable the grassroots economy to connect with the rest of the world,” he said.

The country can harness its strengths and global connection­s to increase its security in food, healthcare and energy which generate employment and can turn the economy around.

The new economic direction required efforts across all sections of society under the government’s “Ruam Thai Sang Chart (Uniting Thais, Building the Nation)” initiative.

Gen Prayut, however, said he was concerned that many people had failed to catch up with new technology and were unable to access government services via digital platforms. The urgency was to beat the odds and engage people in the new technologi­cal age, he said.

The premier said he would follow up and scrutinise developmen­t projects for any budget-spending irregulari­ties.

 ?? PATTARAPON­G CHATPATTAR­ASILL ?? Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha looks at exhibition­s at a forum on bio, circular and green economies in Nonthaburi yesterday.
PATTARAPON­G CHATPATTAR­ASILL Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha looks at exhibition­s at a forum on bio, circular and green economies in Nonthaburi yesterday.

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