Coup leader Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has warned government officials against consulting politicians about their work as he laid down guidelines for the 2015 national budget planning at a meeting of top military and state officials yesterday.
Junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha flashes a gesture to reporters as he leaves the Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road yesterday. KRIT PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN
"It isn't their job any more. Don't go to them," the junta chief said. "I heard [some state officials] approach 'old hands' for advice. You'd better come to me. If you want their advice, go and live with them.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Gen Prayuth continued. "I've already warned one who [has no authority but] gives advice. He told me that he had stopped but he didn't know how to stop those who approach him."
Gen Prayuth did not name the person he had warned.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief raised the issue during his 90-minute address to senior state officers on the forthcoming 2015 fiscal budget, in which he discussed a wide range of topics.
He said state agencies had to be strong and develop immunity against political intervention. He called on them to be prepared when the second stage of the NCPO's reconciliation plan begins.
An interim government is likely to be in place in late August or early September, while the national legislative assembly and the interim charter should be ready by October.
"So, from October onward, there should be a cabinet running the country and beginning the process of reform. Public administration should be steered in a way similar to that under normal circumstances," he said.
Gen Prayuth asked state agencies to figure out how to restore public confidence in the transparency of public administration and state officials.
He said the spending under the 2015 fiscal plan must be quick and transparent. A panel has been set up to monitor how state funds are spent during the NCPO's stewardship.
The agencies must see to it that budget allocations meet their plans otherwise they will face budget cuts of up to 10% which will disrupt work.
He also noted projects that are not approved or signed off by him are not final, saying the 3-trillion-baht transport infrastructure project has yet to be approved.
"I can tell you that any project which I have not approved is still not set in stone," he said.
Gen Prayuth insisted the NCPO has no plan to use populist policies, but was looking at temporary measures to alleviate hardship. Certain issues such as tax and energy reforms will need to proceed carefully because they have major long-term impacts.
He said the principle is not to undermine fiscal discipline and the NCPO is hoping to lay foundations for national development.
On the water management scheme, he called on agencies concerned to discuss their work plans, saying duplication was a waste of state funds.
"Water ponds are everywhere but water shortages never go away. We have to work it out, to manage water," he said.
On foreign investment, he said the NCPO is trying to make sure the public will benefit. For example, foreign investors will be required to use locally made raw materials and employ Thai workers when they seek to set up a factory here.
He said the coup makers will have to consider all proposals carefully.
"A lot of people ask me to do a lot of things using the powers I have, without listening to criticism. Kra canal, for example. Someone urged me to order that the project proceed since it will benefit the country, but it needs to be considered that such a project may be considered as 'separating' the country," he said, referring to a long-debated project to cut a canal from the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea.
"But if they have evidence that it offers huge benefits along with health and environment impact assessment reports, they can come to me," he said.
For the high-speed train project, Gen Prayuth said that while there were several offers from foreign countries which sounded favourable on the surface, there "is no such thing as a free lunch" and the conditions attached to the deals were not acceptable.
"They offer to fund the entire project with their own money but they request 50 years of concession and a 2 kilometre area from each side of the track to serve their business. We cannot accept such a 'free lunch'," he said.
The junta has scrapped plans to build a high-speed rail network.