Deputy PM defends exec appointments

There is no conflict of interest in the appointment of business executives to the national strategy committee, says Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Mr Wissanu referred to the 12 newlyappointed members of the strategy committee which is supposed to be made up of a diverse group individuals to ensure the committee has no overriding agenda.

Among them are incumbent and former top executives of the country’s leading businesses including Bangkok Bank president Chartsiri Sophonpanich, Kasikorn Bank CEO Banthoon Lamsam and former Siam Cement Group chief executive Kan Trakulhoon.

Mr Chartsiri will draft plans for the country’s economy while Mr Banthoon and Mr Kan Trakulhoon will work on social issues.

Mr Wissanu insisted there was no preconceived plan to manipulate the work of members to meet the wishes of the national strategy committee.

“No such pre-conceived ‘blueprint’ exists I can assure you. There is no need for that,” Mr Wissanu said.

Mr Wissanu, representing the national strategy committee, chaired a meeting of the 11 reform panels at the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) yesterday.

The panels met to discuss the budgeting procedures and set working objectives for the panels.

The panels will need to draft criteria for reforms to be presented to the national strategy committee within 30 days of the reform panel members’ appointment or by Sept 13.

The process of fleshing out the reform contents is expected to be finalised by April next year.

Anek Laothamatas, chairman of the reform panel on politics, said his panel planned to convene its first meeting on Sept 4.

He suggested the panel on politics design its reform content based partly on the findings relevant to political reforms which had been produced and summarised by the now-defunct National Reform Steering Assembly and the National Reform Council before it.

“Our panel will not work from scratch,” he said.