Mr. Satit said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would be the person who would present the statement. The exact time and other ministers who would join the session were being identified, he said. He added the government would also inform the public of its plans to be implemented in the future.

He asserted that the statement making was aimed to ensure the people of the government’s determination to solve the country’s economic problems and to ease the people’s hardship.

Mr. satit on Saturday chaired the opening of the event to promote the Sufficiency Economy principle among farmers in Surat Thani’s Mueang district. During the opening speech, he stated that despite the ongoing political problems in the country, the government had been determined to solve the country’s economic problems and to alleviate the people’s hardship of poverty. He explained that the government had promoted the royal initative among people in the effort to make the sustainable survival of the farmers. He added the replacement of the mortgage scheme with the price guarantee for agricultural products was for the highest interest of the agriculturalists.

In the event, quality agricultural products from various southern provinces had been put on sale. The fair would last until 3 August

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Satit Wonghnongtaey stated that the government’s performance report, which was tentatively set in coincidence with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s birthday on 3 August, might need to be put off and rescheduled on a later date. He reasoned that the Prime Minister and cabinet members would be occupied with the upcoming first session of the Senate meeting.

Nonetheless, Mr Satit elaborated that Prime Minister Abhisit and some relevant ministers would still deliver the statement within the same week at Government House, and the details would comprise the administration’s achievements on several issues during the first 6 months as well as future plans.

Prime Minister’s Office Minister, Satit Wonghnongtaey, stated that leaders of the coalition partners had a joint meeting today to confer on the progress towards the charter amendment, including the 6 key issues proposed recently by the Reconciliation Committee for Political Reform and Constitution Amendment. The minister said both support and opposition were received during the meeting, and all sides agreed that the subject should be debated for its conclusion in the upcoming parliamentary session.

Mr. Satit insisted that the issue of constitutional amendment was of great importance to the entire nation and assured that it would be deliberated with utmost care.

Recently, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Thailand was reported to be as low as minus 7.1 percent, and the Government has been receiving criticisms that the negative figure was resulted from inefficient operation of the Government.

Upon the criticisms, Mr Satit said that the Government had duties to report the fact without concealing any facts. He said the figures had already indicated what the Government had to do, stressing that the Government always attached priority to the economic problems and people’s living condition.

Asked how the Government would handle the economy in the coming third quarter since it would be a good time for the opposition to assail the Government, Mr. Satit said the Government was prompt with mainly two things. The first one was preparations of all measures to mitigate economic crisis, including 16 measures coming from the economic stimulus budget. The second one was the elucidation on the issues to be made public.

The Minister said all measures would be evaluated for the progress and how people had been receiving benefits from each measure. The result would be submitted to the Government on 28 June 2009. Then, the National Economic and Social Development Board Office would report to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on 29 June 2009 for further elucidation to be made to the public accordingly.