Govt acts on security, food and energy

The government is considering setting up a special mechanism to cope with potential future energy and food crises as it takes steps to enhance the country’s security and resilience, according to the National Security Council (NSC).

NSC secretary-general Gen Supoj Malaniyom said the NSC will meet on Monday to discuss the country’s energy and food security and review short-term, middle-term and long-term plans for possible crises.

The short-term plan will cover a period of three months while the medium-term plan will assess the situation over the next six months, and the long-term plan until 2024.

Every state agency must prepare for emergency situations especially in the area of energy security, as excessive price increases have a domino effect, he said.

Pol Gen Supoj said a special mechanism may be established to respond to the crises with specialists from various fields brought in to mobilise solutions and cope with emergencies.

He said in order to keep abreast of the situation, the NSC has been in talks on a regular basis with economic agencies and the private sector about energy price spikes and impacts.

The energy crisis is putting significant pressure on people and a short-term plan must be rolled out as soon as possible, he said.

The NSC’s proposal focuses on energy security and resilience, while prices are part of the Commerce Ministry’s remit, according to the NSC secretary-general.

Once approved by the NSC, the proposal in full will be forwarded to the cabinet for acknowledgement and then to all other ministries.

“Some may say the NSC is not an expert in economic affairs, but we don’t work on our own. I’ve been in talks with economic ministers to keep informed of the problems and invited economic agencies for crisis-response plans. There should be an update after the Monday meeting,” he said.

The NSC meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.