NLA showdown vote looms on energy sector reform bill

A civic network group will also gather at Parliament to wait for the result of the vote. 
The amended Petroleum Act will be debated in the second and third readings today. The lawmakers are reportedly divided on the matter and it will likely to be a close vote as many members are waiting for more clarification on the contentious points in the bill from an NLA ad-hoc committee before deliberating on it, a source from NLA said.
The most contentious point in the draft bill is the proposed national oil company, which would oversee the country’s petroleum projects, as suggested by the ad-hoc committee. 
The committee’s report highlighted the need for a new national oil company to take over the management of related assets once existing concessions end. 
However, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday shot down the controversial proposal to set up a new national oil company. He said the proposed was redundant, as energy companies were majority owned by the Finance Ministry.
Other critics of the proposal, such as former deputy premier MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, have said they are worried the national oil company would set back the energy sector and its vast financial interests would be abused.

The controversial bill is opposed to by the People’s Network for Thai Energy Reform led by ex-senator Rossana Tositrakul and former finance minister Thirachai Phuvanartnalanuban because it does not set a time frame for the establishment of a national oil company while the bill has a provision to allow the state to share benefits with private oil companies.

While opposing the bill, Rossana will on Thursday submit a petition to NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai at Parliament to demand a specific timeline on the amendment to the Petroleum Act for the establishment of a national oil company.