If you had to write a letter to the government to assess its performance after its first year in office, how would you go about doing it? For me, I would try to see through the eyes of government supporters. And here's my take:
Dear Government,
It has been a year since you came along and offered the dreams you wanted me to share. Since you expect me to stick with you through thick and thin, do listen to me.
I can say frankly that you have been acting differently from the day our paths first crossed. Back then, you won my heart with your commitment to fill the gap in social healthcare services and provide better credit access to answer the basic needs of the common people. You fought with the bureaucracy to fulfil your promises.
But don't you think your promises of late have become too extravagant? And why are you trying to give me what I don't really need?
As your faithful supporter, I should be happy that you try to shower me with gifts. But the woman in me is more concerned about our long-term future. The excess of generosity also makes me wonder if you have any hidden agenda.
The paddy pledging project, for example. Others say it is suicidal but you still insist on giving me paddy prices that nobody in the marketplace can match. All I need to do is plant as much rice as possible, go the millers, and get my money. But what you're doing also says that you don't care about how to help me improve myself, or the quality of my product. You keep saying you do all this for my benefit, but why is it that the biggest chunk of the money goes to someone else? The millers, in particular. They unfairly use rice moisture quotients to reduce my payments. Some even ask for a commission!
A study found that the money that I receive from your rice pledging policy is only one-third of the total you said you would give me. With accumulating rice stockpiles and a fishy business going on, I feel the need to examine how you manage the programme and organise fair bidding to minimise losses. The history of your handling of massive rice auctions shows they have recouped too little money, raising the question of whether it is the merchants who benefit from buying cheap rice from the stockpile. In some cases, the auctions are fraudulent, allowing tax money to be siphoned off to enrich those who are already rich.
Trust is the foundation of a long-lasting relationship. Can I still trust you, my dear government?
While I do get some benefits from your project, I would like to see you lay out its pros and cons. The tax money is as much mine as yours, although the account is under your name. It is too risky to live with a big spender's big dreams, only to face the crushing reality in the future.
You think about the common people. You offer access to credit via several entrepreneurial promotion funds, a credit grace period, and tax incentives for first-time car buyers. While this eases some financial constraints, it's easy to get carried away. It's not fun handling new debts.
You think big with your infrastructure projects such as high-speed trains and mass transit systems for the next generation. That's good, but not enough. Youngsters also need good foundations to build a society that they want to live in. Giving them material stuff is not enough. We must give them a society with the rule of law. No double standards, as you always say.
Apart from trust, respect is a crucial factor in all kinds of relationships, personal or political.
My dear government, if you can do just that, retaining my trust and my respect, then you count on me for my support when there are no better choices around.
Parista Yuthamanop is senior economics reporter.