Ministers to discuss PTT pipeline transfer case
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FINANCE MINISTER Sommai Phasee will discuss with Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee the opinion of the Office of the Auditor-General that PTT has yet to transfer its gas pipelines completely to the Finance Ministry as ordered by the Supreme Administrati
Sommai said he was doubtful whether the Office should be pushing this issue too aggressively right now. He said Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha had sought the opinion of the Council of State on the matter.
Chaisit Trachutham, chairman of the State Audit Commission, said he had received the Office’s opinion on the PTT case and everyone should wait for the result of the Council of State’s examination. If it is found that PTT has really failed to transfer the assets to the Finance Ministry, the Office will force it to complete the transfer. If the Council of State rules that PTT has completed the transfer, that will finalise the matter.
On December 14, 2007, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that to separate the authority and rights under the public authority of the state from those of PTT, PTT was to segregate its public-domain assets and related land-exploitation rights.
On December 22, 2008, the Treasury Department informed PTT that the company had completely segregated and transferred all court-ruled assets to the Finance Ministry. Also that month, the Supreme Court noted that PTT had completed the transfer of court-ruled assets.
However, the Office later notified PTT and the court that the company had yet to transfer such assets completely. An inspection by the Office found that PTT had handed over only onshore pipelines worth Bt16.18 billion, but not yet onshore and offshore gas pipelines worth Bt32.61 billion.
PTT insists it completely complied with the court order by transferring the onshore assets to the Finance Ministry.
Last month PTT chief executive officer Pailin Chuchottaworn showed the press the letter the Supreme Court sent to the Office on March 20, 2009, stating that PTT and related parties had completely complied with the court ruling in the gas-pipeline-transfer case.
Auditor-General Pisit Leelava-chiropas said yesterday that his office held the view that the oil and gas giant PTT had to transfer its offshore pipelines to the ministry as well.
