05.10.09 Abhisit flags tourism as new hope
The government plans to overhaul the country's
investment policy by replacing unwanted manufacturing projects with
tourism developments, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says.
The move follows the Central Administrative Court's order last
Tuesday suspending the operating permits of 76 projects, many of them
in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate and nearby areas in Rayong.
The government has appealed against the order to the Supreme Administrative Court.
Mr Abhisit said on his weekly TV and radio programme yesterday the
government had assigned the National Economic and Social Development
Board to study which industrial projects the country did not want and
look into the possibility of whether tourism projects could replace
them.
The impact of those scrapped projects on the economy and job creation would also be studied.
Mr Abhisit said the government was trying to balance the interests between industrial developers and local communities.
He said it was necessary for the government to appeal the court
order regarding the industrial projects as it wanted to see what final
guidelines the court would give for projects that have been granted
government approval.
Meanwhile Suthi Atchasai, a leader of the People's Eastern Network,
yesterday denounced the government's decision to appeal the court
ruling, saying the appeal was not appropriate as Map Ta Phut residents
would be badly affected if the projects went ahead.
Mr Suthi lashed out at the government for paying too much attention
to the economy and industrial development and ignoring the plight of
local residents living near the project sites.
He vowed to lead local residents to Bangkok on foot to protest against the government's decision.
He said unless the government changed its stand, his group would
petition His Majesty against the government for failing to pay heed to
the King's sufficiency economy concept. Source: Bangkok Post, 05.10.09 http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/25048/abhisit-flags-tourism-as-new-hope
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