BANGKOK, 20 Sep 2013, Various prominent financial and political figures have voiced support for the government’s 2 trillion baht loan bill.
Mr. Prasan Trairatworakul, Governor of the Bank of Thailand (BoT), said the loan bill would not affect the national financial liquidity, given the government would likely need to borrow only about 300 billion baht each year for its seven-year plan, which would not have any effect on the market.
In practice the figure will be lower than 300 billion baht a year during the first couple of years of the loan project, Prasan said, emphasizing that as the project is a long-term one, the local market’s liquidity should be enough to support the massive project.
Meanwhile, adviser of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) Wirathai Santiprapob, indicated that the heart of the infrastructure mega-project was its investment value, clarifying that even though the project would not generate any income during its first phase, it would during the middle one.
Mr. Witathai expressed his confidence in the Government in handling the project’s side effects, saying that even if the project were to be delayed, there still would be no effect on the economy.
In the meantime, Secretary General to the Prime Minister, Suranand Vejjajiva, urged for support of the project from all sides, for the sake of moving Thailand forward.
Not only will the loan help strengthen the nation’s infrastructure system, but will also enhance the country’s competitiveness, as well as raising the quality of life, among other things, said Suranand.
