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The excise-duty waiver on diesel will be extended again, to end-November, lengthening the overall waiver period to 55 months.

The Cabinet yesterday decided to extend the period by another month to help control the cost of living.

Thanks to the duty waiver of about Bt5.13 per litre since May 2009, the retail price of diesel remains under Bt30 per litre.

   

Bt7 bn to cover rice sale losses 

The Cabinet yesterday approved the use of central-budget funding of Bt7.04 billion to pay for Commerce Ministry spending on the rice-pledging programme.

“This budget will be paid to the Commerce Ministry for the losses made from the sale of rice at below-market prices under the Blue Flag scheme,” said Deputy Government Spokesman Pakdiharn Himathongkham.

The rice committee approved the donation 60,000 tonnes of low-priced rice worth Bt966.47 million, another 593,047 tonnes worth Bt5.58 billion under the Blue Flag scheme, and 58,165 tonnes worth Bt492.3 million to state enterprises. 

 

Household LPG use own by 19%

Household consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) totalled 6,600 tonnes per day in the first nine months of the year, representing a 19-per-cent decline from the same period last year, the Energy Business Department said yesterday.

The price of LPG for household consumption was raised by Bt0.50 per kilogram per month on September 1, but the department’s data showed that during September 1 to October 2, only 51,086 out of 7.7 million eligible households had registered for the right to buy the gas at the old price. Somnuek Bamrungsalee, director-general of the department, acknowledged that there was a problem with the registration process, and said this would be tackled.

Meanwhile, consumption for transportation purposes during January to September rose by 65 per cent, from 2,900 tonnes a day to 4,800. 

The volume of LPG used in the manufacturing and petrochemical industries remained at 1,700 and 7,100 tonnes a day. Thailand imported 157,000 tonnes of LPG per month on average in the nine-month period, boosting accumulated subsidies to Bt24 billion.

 

Thai-Myanmar visa exemption

Thai and Myanmar air travellers will be exempted from entry-visa requirements for 14-day stays after the two governments sign an agreement on the exemption in December, Government Spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi announced yesterday.

Teerat said the Cabinet had approved the draft agreement on the visa exemption, and added that the draft would be presented to the premiers of the two countries to sign when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visits Myanmar in December.

Yingluck will visit the country on December 11-12 to participate in the SEA Games opening ceremony.

The exemption will apply to departures and arrivals at 23 Thai airports: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Nan, Phitsanulok, Mae Sot, Mae Hong Son, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Krabi, Trang, Narathiwat, Ranong, Surat Thani, Hua Hin, Samui, Sukhothai and U-tapao.