The private sector has proposed the government establish a specific agency to take charge of reforming outdated laws and regulations, especially those relating to the ease of doing business, to enhance the country's competitiveness and rehabilitate the economy.
According to Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the new agency should be staffed with suitable people and given an appropriate budget to work full-time on a "regulatory guillotine" exercise to get rid of outdated rules and laws that hinder business activities and public services.
"The private sector through the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking [JSCCIB] has already requested the Office of the Council of State improve more than 40 proposals," he said.
"There are five urgent proposals the government should quickly address to rehabilitate the country's economy during the Covid-19 crisis."
The urgent proposals include an improvement of corporate laws to enable small businesses and startups raising funds and attracting talent to spur innovation, as well as legal amendments to immigration and foreign labour rules to meet the country's labour needs and facilitate knowledgeable foreigners creating startups and innovative enterprises, said Mr Sanan.
He said the government should speed up improvements to laws and regulations pertaining to tourism businesses, specifically hotels, service places and tour guides, to align with the trends of ecotourism, health tourism, homestays and long-stays.
Another focus should be laws relating to e-commerce to facilitate the changing business environment and eliminate obstacles that hinder e-commerce, said Mr Sanan.
The private sector also called on the government to update laws and regulations relating to used goods, especially reusable and recycled products to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Without proper management of used products, Thai products may not be able to compete in the world market in the future, he said.
According to Mr Sanan, the JSCCIB previously talked with Kobsak Pootrakool, chairman of a subcommittee on business regulation reform set up by the prime minister.
The subcommittee reported that 424 procedures could be amended or abolished in fiscal 2021 and there are 514 total procedures scheduled to be amended or abolished.