Panel draws up plan for Northeast

The Joint Public-Private Committee will propose five measures to promote economic growth in the Northeast at the mobile Cabinet meeting in Udon Thani on February 21.

The measures focus on logistics development; trade and investment promotion; developing irrigation systems; tourism and service-sector growth; and human-resources development.

The committee will consider the proposals before the Cabinet meets.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will chair the joint committee meeting.

Payungsak Chartsutipol, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries and of the joint committee, said yesterday that the private sector wanted to see serious development in the Northeast, particularly of the logistics sector, to strengthen the regional economy and boost living standards.

The proposals call on the government to develop the logistics and transport system by accelerating the construction of a dual-railway link between Bangkok and Nong Khai - including a high-speed-rail track - by 2019, and the development of land routes 211 and 212 along the Mekong to promote tourism on the river.

Moreover, it has called for the government to build a railway line linking Ban Phai, Khon Kaen province, with Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.

The committee wants the government to promote trade and investment in the region by setting up special economic zones in Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom, as well as build an "eco-town" in Khon Kaen. It will ask the government to extend the closing time at border checkpoints from 6pm to 10pm.

It will also call for the development of an irrigation system for farming and greater usage of the Mekong, Loei, Chee and Mool rivers. It wants the government to support construction of a cable-car project in Phu Kradung district, Loei province, as a strategy to promote tourism growth.

Last, it will urge the development of human resources by supporting the establishment of a university in Kalasin province to commemorate next year's 90th anniversary of the birth of the late HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana.

Cable car

For the cable-car project, the committee has taken into account non-governmental organisations' concerns about possible environmental impacts, Payungsak said. The project would include relief measures for workers whose livelihoods are affected, he said.

The private sector has also called on the government to accelerate implementation of an action plan to prevent flooding, as the rainy season is approaching.

Somkiat Anuras, vice chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand, said the Joint Public-Private Com-mittee had also asked for the government's help in staging the third Asia Business Summit, to be held in Bangkok on July 13.

The meeting will help increase confidence for businesspeople in 13 economies in Asia such as Japan, mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore, Somkiat said.