the torrent of criticism directed at the former t happens, really made many mistakes Whatever happens, unfair or Surakiart has not damage. He aw dean is do the county far more onson ministers who could Many economists have The should be on other stamp out inflation. too early to can be criticised for being too weak in trying to it is still done so But he is backed by the Bank of Thailand and Ndge conclusbely who is right confidence has to But he cannot be blamed for the slump in the stock market Any lack of with such a be blamed on the entire Banham government whose members came to power negative image that restoring confidence is bound to be an uphill struggle. Instead of trying to do that, many ministers have pressed ahead with controversial actions that might just impress their constituents, but not the nation as a whole The only mistake Dr Surakart took with regard to the stock market was to allow himself to be panicked into providing a rescue package some stock speculators might be pleased. taxpayers in seneral should be worried about the packages implied message that the government will always take the risk out of gambling on stocks in all other respects, Dr Surakiart has been as good as we could expect from any finance minister Not so the rest of the Cabinet, and that is why the media's focus on Dr Surakiart is not only unfair to him, but also to the country in economic policy, for example, just take a look at Cornmerce Minister Chucheep Hamsawat la one breath he embraces the cause of free trade in the name of tackling inequalities, and he pledges not to allow the bureaucracy to hnder business. n another he orders the precise opposite he throttles tapioca exports through the unjustifiable practice of allocating quotas, costing an estimated billons of baht in export earning, and depuidos the country's poorest farmers of a large chunk of hard-found ncome No one picks up the issue because millions of farmers struggling in poverty in remote areas cannot command the same media attention as one stock investor who shot himself in the middle of Banekok Mt Chucheep is not even obliged to give