Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula Monday insisted he has not heard of any discussions about the prime minister preparing to reshuffle ministers dealing with the economy.
He was speaking as reports spread that the ministries of finance, agriculture and cooperatives and commerce could be targeted by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for a cabinet reshuffle this month.
MR Pridiyathorn said if the information was true, he would be aware of it.
Asked whether a potential cabinet shake-up was being planned because the ministries of agriculture and cooperatives had failed to push up crop prices, including rubber, the deputy premier said the performance of the entire cabinet has been good.
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MR Pridiyathorn also confirmed the premier had never said anything about this matter, adding that only the media had reported speculation about a cabinet reshuffle.
He said Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya and his deputy Amnuay Patisae have been working hard to deal with agricultural problems, adding that although they had suffered some difficulties in their work, there was nothing to be worried about.
According to sources at Government House, Gen Prayut recently held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and other National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) members to assess the six-month performance of every ministry.
The assessment indicated the work of some economic ministers had progressed slowly with a lack of integration, particularly in efforts to tackle economic problems.
With the prospect of worsening economic woes and intensifying political problems, professionals in macroeconomics would be needed to help out, the sources said.
This would also help sustain the government's stability, so was seen as an asset.
They said a conclusion has been reached that some ministers handling economic issues, which have not yet produced positive results, would be reshuffled this month.
They include Mr Pitipong and Mr Amnuay, who opinion polls have also suggested should be replaced.
The discussion also agreed the Agriculture Ministry has failed to address the problem of crop prices, including those of rubber, cassava, corn and rice, the sources said.
Although more than 1.2 billion baht has been spent on pushing up rubber prices, the problem has still not been solved.
According to the sources, there is a possibility the ministers of commerce and finance could also be replaced because their performance have failed to impress.
Also on Monday, the NCPO agreed to assist the government's work in various issues, including its efforts to arrest tumbling rubber prices. Citing a meeting of the NCPO secretariat office, the council's deputy spokeswoman Sirichan Ngathong said a sub-panel on mobilising NCPO strategy would assign the army to help support a programme of buffer stock to stabilise rubber prices.
The army has agreed to support the buying of rubber from farmers, while army vehicles or those from other state agencies will take it to warehouses of the Rubber Estate Organisation in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Surat Thani, after transport operators scrapped a deal to shift the goods.