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Minister a victim of PREMIER’S policies

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has blamed the disappointing economic performance partly on his |government’s crack down |on illicit activities such as |gambling dens and encroachment of national parks and public beaches. The PM, nevertheless, might not realise that one of his Cabinet members is also a victim of his policies.

“I have a condo. Lately, it has become quiet,” Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee told a seminar last week.

“I found out later that it was quiet because there was a gambling den in my condo. Had I known, I would not have bought it.”

Narongchai said Thai |economic growth was falling short of some expectations because the government |has only just started solving |the problems caused by the |previous governments such as the rice price pledging scheme, from the second half of last year. The government’s |“social reordering” policy has unavoidably affected economic growth since the “informal |sector” is admittedly huge in Thailand.

Narongchai told the seminar he was also a victim of his own policy to end the diesel price subsidy, since he owns a diesel-fuelled vehicle.

“It’s a shame that a motorcycle taxi has to pay Bt4-Bt5 taxes on gasoline, while owners of diesel cars pay just 5 satang a litre in taxes,” he said.

The minister noted that the diesel tax was brought to that level when Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was the prime minister.

“It is unimaginable that an Oxford graduate would do that,” Narongchai quipped.

ptt chief?buoyed by thIrd-party access

PTT chief executive and |president Pailin Chuchottaworn said the deregulation of the country’s natural gas pipeline network under the so-called third-party access (TPA) regime was a good thing because the TPA would allow more competition in the sector.

“We have already sent back the TPA code to the regulator,” he said. “Within a few days, we will officially have the third-party access for the gas pipeline.”

The PTT chief, nevertheless, wondered why the natural |gas pipeline network, for which PTT has a monopoly, was |the only one opened up for |competition.

“Railroad and power lines should also be opened [for 3rd party access],” he joked.

Contributed by Pichaya Changsorn