Call for joint panel on SRT management

The JSCCIB meeting yesterday also provided an update on its proposal to amend four industrial laws that it believes are in need of an immediate fix in order to facilitate local and foreign business operations, while serving as preparation for the Asean Economic Community, which comes into effect next year.

Issara Wongkusolkij, president of the JSCCIB and chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the joint committee would propose a plan to reform the management of the SRT at the next meeting of the Joint Public-Private Committee.

The JSCCIB believes that the improvement of the railway system is crucial for the country’s development, as it would significantly reduce logistics costs and energy consumption, and at the same time lower the number of road-traffic accidents, he said.

 Issara said his panel would propose the setting up of a joint state railway reform committee, comprising representatives from the Transport Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, with the prime minister or deputy PM in charge of the economy as chairman to directly oversee the development of the committee’s work.

The committee would be tasked with coming up with a clear road map for the reform of the state railway management system. 

This should be based on a decentralisation plan to lower administrative complexity by directly assigning each unit within the committee to oversee specific issues, he said, adding that there should also be key performance indicators for each unit to provide them with clear goals.

   

Amending industrial laws 

Meanwhile, Kitti Tangjitrmanee-sakda, secretary-general of the Federation of Thai Industries, said the JSCCIB had earlier proposed the immediate amendment of four crucial industrial laws to the National Council for Peace and Order.

The NCPO forwarded the private-sector recommendations to related government agencies, from whom the response was positive, and the proposals – especially the one regarding amendment of the customs law – are expected to be introduced to the National Legislative Assembly within the next few months, he said.

The four laws that the private sector wants to see amended are: the law that governs guarantees for businesses, by adding new types of guarantee; the law governing customs regulations on technical errors, in order to get rid of sentences for operators that inadvertently bring in illegal goods; the law on corporate and income tax, to make the taxes more facilitative for business; and the law on the clearing of cheques, by introducing more technology to the clearance system.

The JSCCIB also said yesterday that the export sector could experience flat growth this year, with the worst-case case scenario being a contraction of 1 per cent.

However, exports to border areas have increased by 10 per cent and trade with CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) countries is still doing reasonably well, the committee added.

Meanwhile, acceleration of the government budget’s disbursement of around 15 per cent, or Bt60 billion, from the stimulus package should help the economy to expand by 1.5-2 per cent this year, it added.