A large majority of people think the government should concentrate on creating jobs to shore up household income levels battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the result of an opinion poll revealed on Sunday.
The poll was conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll, on Aug 10-14 on 1,109 people throughout the country to compile their opinions on ways of bringing the economy back to normal as soon as possible.
The respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.
At the "household level", 85.75% of the respondents suggested that the government focus on creating new jobs; 82.78% wanted the government to introduce measures to enable households to generate more incomes; 64.38% wanted the government to increase public welfare and other benefits; 55.09% demanded a debt moratorium; and 52.12% suggested temporary suspension of loan interest payments.
To solve the economic problem at the "community level", 72.14% suggested subsidies for prices of agricultural produce; 71.51% wanted use of local resources to be maximised; 69.97% suggested more development of human resources; 69.16% wanted jobs to be created in communities; and 68.17% wanted profiteering to be brought under control.
At the "national level", 76.19% suggested promotion of agriculture; 75.38% promotion of exports; 73.85% promotion of tourism; 68.53% building of investors' confidence; and 62.04% promotion of the industrial sector.
Asked what should be done today to spur the economy, 75.20% suggested stimulation of domestic consumption; 71.87% development of labour skills and creation of jobs; 66.82% development of communication and transport systems; and 55.73% investment in public health.