Ms Yingluck said she would like the economic team to push forward six economic policies.
First: to cancel the state Oil Fund, which would bring down the price of premium petrol by 7.50 baht a litre, regular petrol by 6.70 baht a litre and diesel by 2.20 baht per litre.
Second: to address high product prices.
Third: to overhaul the healthcare system by reintroducing the 30-baht healthcare scheme initiated during the Thaksin administration.
The other priority polices include suppressing illegal drugs, improving foreign relations, and working with the independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT), which was set up during the Abhisit administration.
The Pheu Thai Party released a statement announcing that it will implement seven tasks right away once the new government is formed.
The seven urgent tasks are:
1. Creating unity and reconciliation in the country by allowing the Kanit Na Nakhorn-led TRCT to work independently.
2. Holding grand celebrations to mark His Majesty the King's 84th birthday on Dec 5 this year.
3. Reviving the economy through reducing people's cost of living, raising incomes and promoting state investment.
4. Promoting international relations, both bilaterally and multilaterally.
5. Stimulate state officials so they can help solve people's problems promptly.
6. Urgently eradicate corruption by ensuring transparent and fair investigations.
7. Ensure that all proposed policies are carried on time.
Ms Yingluck rejected as baseless reports that her elder brother, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin, would be made roving trade envoy.
Ms Yingluck said she has no thought of giving such job to Thaksin, as was reported by the media.
She also said the new defence minister must be a person able to work well with the armed forces.
Thaksin's youngest sister said ministers overseeing economic matters will be selected from members of the Pheu Thai Party first, but capable outsiders could also become economic ministers if they were suitable for the job, she added.
Ms Yingluck was later today due to meet with her party’s economic team to discuss economic policies for the new coalition government.
She insisted that the policies announced during the election campaign will certainly be implemented.
However, the industrial sector today complained that awarding the promised instant, major hike in the daily miniumum wage would have a severe adverse effect on manufacturers.
Khon Kaen Federation of Industries chairman Withoon Kamolnaruemeth said the incoming government should review its policy to raise the daily minimum wage to 300 baht everywhere because manufacturers would not be able to carry the added labour cost.
“Industrial plants might have to close down, or move their production bases to other countries,” he said.
Mr Withoon admitted that manufacturers were truly worried about the 300 baht a day policy championed by the Pheu Thai Party.
He said no other country [in the region] had a policy for the same daily wage level nationwide. The daily minimum wage should be set in line with living costs of each province, which varies.
“The current minimum wage in Khon Kaen is 169 baht a day. If it is raised to 300 baht, the increase would be about 90 per cent," he said.
No manufacturer could bear such sharp increase in labour costs and they would have no option but to lay off workers, stop operations or transfer their production bases elsewhere.
Therefore, this policy should be reviewed, Mr Withoon said. The private sector would also meet soon discuss this issue and search for a solution.
He said that outside of the indutrial sector, the negative impact of this policy would also be felt by ordinary people, civil servants and employees of other private firms.
They would face higher prices for consumer goods, which would rise in line with the increase daily wage.
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