Bangkok: The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) perceives Anutin's four-month tenure as an opportunity to restore confidence in the country and aims to choose qualified individuals to join the Cabinet. The organization underscores the need for the new government to urgently address living and energy costs and provide assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Kriangkrai Thienukul, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, expressed after the election of Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul as the interim Prime Minister that the FTI congratulates him on being elected as the 32nd Prime Minister. The FTI is pleased that Thailand has a clear government leadership, which is expected to boost confidence among investors and the business sector following a period of political uncertainty.
Mr. Kriangkrai emphasized the importance of selecting qualified, knowledgeable, and decisive personnel, particularly for key economic positions such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Industry. He noted that this would be significant in restoring confidence among both domestic and international investors. Despite the short-term nature of this government, he urged for immediate and effective action.
The FTI acknowledges that four months is a very brief period for implementing structural reforms, such as tax system adjustments, labor skills development, or energy strategy development, which typically require years of consistent implementation. Therefore, the focus should be on immediate measures to address urgent problems and foster a positive economic climate.
For urgent policies within the four-month period, the FTI recommends that the new government should alleviate the cost of living and energy costs affecting citizens and entrepreneurs, assist SMEs by increasing liquidity, reducing taxes, and addressing bad debt, expedite foreign trade negotiations especially with significant markets like the United States, and modernize business and tax systems to reduce redundancy and create an investment-friendly environment.