Published on January 13, 2006

LABOUR PORTFOLIO: MP says ‘incompetent’ Somsak should be replaced as minister

Government MP Kusumawatee Sirikomut called yesterday for the removal of Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin on grounds of incompetence.

“Somsak has no understanding of the workers’ plight and appears to have made a series of wrong decisions,” she said.

Kusumawatee said Somsak was unsuitable for the job, listing the following “blunders”:

lSquandering Bt16 million on a publicity campaign which yielded no benefits for workers.

lTurning a blind eye to a scam by top labour officials who demanded Bt200,000 from each Thai sent to work in South Korea.

lPlanning to divert Bt5 billion from the Social Security Fund to buy Egat shares instead of spending it to improve workers’ welfare.

lSetting aside funds for loans for teachers but not other workers.

lSiding with businessmen over workers in the Taiwanese job-placement scandal.

BUSINESS SUMMIT REACTION: Words not enough, PM told

Words of assurance from the prime minister were not enough to clear business people’s doubts about the stability of his government and the economy, the Democrat Party said yesterday.

Democrat spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and members of the Cabinet were to blame for business people’s low confidence in politics and the economy.

“Some of the promises made by the prime minister have yet to materialise. So what the government should do is turn its words into practice, or there’ll only be illusions,” the opposition MP said.

The opposition spokesman was referring to an address made by the premier before a gathering of 481 business leaders at Government House on Wednesday, in which he assured them of a stable government for the rest of his term.

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