Ministry to fast-track some imports
The Commerce Ministry yesterday allowed the import of food and essential items, which would arrive early next week, after finding more than 40 per cent of goods were in short supply, while also slapping price controls on 16 products.
Urgent imports eligible for fast-tracking are classified as food and beverages, essential consumer products, and equipment for flood relief such as pumps and tanks.
The ministry has added 16 products to its price-control list of 41 goods following complaints of unfair practices by retailers and hoarding. These items are bottled water, paper napkins, flashlights, batteries, toothpaste and toothbrushes, sand, plastic sandbags, bricks, life vests, plastic boats, rubber boots, sleeping bags, water tanks, water pumps, foot-disease remedies and candles.
These measures came out of a meeting with the Food and Drug Adminis-tration, Customs Department, Excise Department, Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) and Thai Retail Traders Association.
Permanent secretary Yanyong Phuangrach said the ministry has requested that the Food and Drug Admin-istration slash its processing of imported food and beverage products from the normal period of up to 35 days to five days as many factories have been destroyed by floods and some producers face difficulties in transport.
The ministry has also asked agencies such as the Livestock Develop-ment Department, Agriculture Department and those in the Finance Ministry to relax their regulations so the import of those products could be expedited.
Although the government has allowed the accelerated import of those goods, they will have the same high standards and safety as usual imports, while many importers are also stringently inspecting their foods and goods.
Many of the goods are made by the overseas plants of Thai companies, particularly in Asean countries.
The ministry insisted that the imported foods and goods would be sold at market prices as most goods were exempted from import duties under the Asean Free-Trade Agree-ment and free-trade pacts between Thailand or Asean with partners such as China and Australia.
During the wait for the imports, consumers can remain assured of an adequate supply as many producers and modern retailers still have inventory for distribution. About 1,500 containers, worth about Bt500,000 each, are available for distribution.
The ministry has ordered the PWO to produce packs of 5-per-cent white rice quickly to bolster domestic supply. Many premium grades such as jasmine rice are still available in the market, but lower-grade rice had disappeared from shelves. Initially, the ministry plans to produce 200,000-300,000 5-kilogram bags.
To solve the problem of distribution after flooding at Don Mueang Airport, which had been set up as a distribution centre for the modern trade, the ministry would set up new centres around the country.
Suvarnabhumi Airport’s duty-free zone, the warehouses of the Air Force, Army and PWO, and the municipality of each province will hold goods for distribution to flooded areas as soon as possible. These urgent measures will help mitigate the serious impact from flooding and will be employed until the floods recede and domestic producers can restore full operations, Yanyong said.
Chatchai Tuangrattanapan, an adviser to the Thai Retail Traders Association, said about 40 per cent of goods were scarce during the flooding as some factories and warehouses were swamped.
About 1,200 warehouses with goods worth more than Bt600 million were destroyed, and many consumers have increased their purchases to stock up on necessities. This has caused the supply of foods and goods in many areas, especially in Greater Bangkok, to be tight, he added.
