BANGKOK, 29 July 2012 – The mobile cabinet meeting in Surin during July 29-30 will focus on development projects in eight lower northeastern provinces. It will also be an opportunity for the government to distribute credit cards to farmers, one of the major campaign promises that the Pheu Thai Party made to win the election last July.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said members of the Cabinet have been asked to make field visits ahead of the meeting and work with the provincial governors involved as well as the private sector to ensure smooth execution of priority development projects. The eight provinces targeted by the Cabinet are Surin, Buriram, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Amnat Charoen and Yasothon.
Ms. Yingluck said the government’s urgent policy is to distribute credit cards to farmers which they can use to buy agricultural factors such as fertilizers, plant seeds or pesticides from stores registered with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. Farmer representatives from 19 northeastern provinces will receive the cards at a ceremony to be held in Surin Province.
Meanwhile, Surin’s Chamber of Commerce has prepared to ask the Cabinet to support the province with transport infrastructure, promote border trade and develop more water sources. Mr. Kriangsak Palikupt, president of the Surin Chamber of Commerce, said the province is famous for its Hom Mali fragrant rice and needs to have reliable water supply for the cultivation.
The province will also urge the government to support its project to bring back local elephants roaming for money with their mahouts in major cities. Surin is a well-known elephant habitat and organizes a yearly elephant round-up that attracts a lot of tourists.
