Briefs
Don Mueang Airport to tighten security Airports of Thailand announced last week that Don Mueang International Airport had begun tightening security.
AOT said security measures at Don Mueang were revised in order to prevent unlawful interference that might delay the airport’s processes. Every piece of baggage, both carry-on and loaded, must be X-rayed before entering the check-in area.
During the first 12 days of July, Don Mueang saw the number of passengers soar by 82.4 per cent year on year, while the other three major international airports also saw numbers rise – Chiang Mai by 76.9 per cent, Suvarnabhumi 50 per cent, and Phuket 23.3 per cent. Don Mueang is to reopen a renovated terminal this year. The airport hopes the new facilities will increase capacity from 18 million to 25 million passengers per year.
Private firms want trade competition act amended
Private enterprises have urged the government to amend the Trade Competition Act of 1999 to ensure a level playing field for all sectors, including state-owned enterprises, with a source saying the Commerce Ministry has apparently avoided such an amendment because of lobbying by some SOEs.
The source said the ministry had been scheduled to propose a draft amendment to the Cabinet since the end of June. However, the ministry has made no moves on the issue. The ministry reported that the draft amendment had been ready for the public-hearing process since May. However, Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya has not considered the draft.
According to the draft amendment, any business, including an SOE, that controls more than 30 per cent of its market posts revenue of more than Bt500 million per year would be subject to close inspection if there were complaints of market dominance hurting other traders or consumers. Some SOEs have objected to this proposal, according to the source. The source called for an urgent amendment of the act to ensure fair competition for all amid the global trend to trade liberalisation, with 138 countries already having pro-private-sector trade competition acts.
EASTERN TECHNICAL SETS ITS SIGHTS ON IPO, MAI LISTING
Eastern Technical Engineering plans to apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission for consideration of its initial public offering of 180 million shares this quarter. Chief executive officer Raivin Lekavorranan said the company hoped to begin trading on the Market for Alternative Investment early next year.
The company is a construction, con-|sultancy and services provider related mainly to high-voltage power transmission, telecommunications networks, and |human-resource management. Raivin said the company’s registered capital was Bt135 million.
As a leading provider in the human-resource outsourcing market, he said its major clients were about 40 state agencies. This business accounted for 50 per cent of its total revenues, and the power-transmission and telecom-network businesses 25 per cent each. Last year, the company posted Bt1.2 billion in revenue and targets Bt1.5 billion this year. Raivin said the company was going to bid for outsourcing jobs totalling more than Bt3 billion in value.
