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Published on August 19, 2007

"No matter what the result, the government is willing to accept our citizens' decision," he said.

The interim government has spent its first six months laying down the groundwork for both investment and government spending.

"These two factors will be able to drive the economy up 4 per cent for sure," he said. "As long as consumer confidence is brought back, it will expand more than 4 per cent this year and it will probably reach 5 per cent next year."

The government has a hard time promoting consumption, another key factor, because an individual's appetite depends on his mood, the minister

said.

"I don't think we should be worried about weak consumption at the moment. When they feel happier with the current political and economic situation, they themselves will encourage their spending," he said.

People can abstain just for a while, not for a long time, he said.

In his speech to the annual convention of the Thai Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Association, he told participants that they should step up collaboration, which is the most significant strategy in the face of globalisation, in order to strengthen their business and compete in international markets.

He also assigned the Energy Ministry and the National Economic and Social Development Board to study the impact of independent power producers who would like to join the upcoming bidding and locate power plants on their sites in the Map Ta Phut industrial area, due to concerns about polluting emissions.

"I think they will have enough time to find a new location if the study reports that there should be no more power plants there," he said.

Chalida  Ekvitthayavechnukul

The Nation