The government is pushing to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) without proper public debate amid a nationwide lockdown, an expert said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Commerce said on Monday that they will ask the Cabinet for permission to open formal negotiations to join the CPTPP. They said the deal would increase exports, provide job creation, improve Thailand’s productivity, and avoid losing opportunities to neighboring countries.
Both the Phue Thai and Move Forward parties, however, said that the move would only benefit large corporations. They suggested a bilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada instead.
“By doing this, it shows the arrogance and indifference of this government because they believe they have control of the senate,” said Pavida Pananond, an associate professor at Thammasat Business School’s Department of International Business, Logistics and Transport.
“There are so many things that we should be more concerned with right now and it does not show that the government has a genuine interest in presenting this as a transparent debate,” she added.
There are still many things to talk about before the country can move forward with the CPTPP deal, such as intellectual property rights and farm subsidies, Pavida said.
“Thai bureaucrats are used to communicating through propaganda. [They] only point out the good things and not directly engaging in the issues that are of concern, which should be taken to a public debate level,” Pavida said.
“The onus is on the Thai government and the bureaucrats to explain to the Thai people of all the pros and cons [of the CPTPP deal] and why it needs to be debated now,” she concluded.
