Prasong eyed for finance portfolio
Finance permanent secretary Prasong Poontaneat who will retire at the end of this month is expected to become the new finance minister, a government source said yesterday.
The source said Mr Prasong had tendered his resignation from all board member positions after Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow told the media he was informed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that the government has found the right candidate to fill the recentlyvacated post. The source said Gen Prayut has been impressed by the performance of Mr Prasong in driving the government’s economic campaigns.
“The PM said the new finance minister will start work in October. I don’t know his name but the PM assures me that we can work together as our ideas are geared toward the same direction,” he said.
Predee Daochai, former president of Kasikornbank, made a shock announcement on Sept 1 that he was resigning as finance minister after less than a month in the post. His resignation took effect on Sept 2.
However, Mr Prasong said he had tendered his resignation from all board member positions not because he is appointed to be the new finance minister. He said he did so because he is going to retire the end of this month.
Gen Prayut said last week he would name a new finance minister next month with media reports that former permanent secretary for the Ministry of Finance Somchai Sujjapongse, and former president of the Government Savings Bank, Chartchai Phayuhanawee, were among potential candidates.