Licence fees could disappear to ease business’ burden
The government is poised to waive hundreds of licence fees in a bid to facilitate private firms doing business in Thailand.
Deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said on Thursday (January 2) the Cabinet had approved Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) guidelines for reviewing the fee structure.
“Currently there are 2,115 different kinds of licences required to conduct different kinds of business,” she said. “Among those, there are 466 licences for which the fee charged is Bt100 or less, and these could all be exempted.”
Ratchada said application, duplication and licence fees could be waived if the processing cost exceeds the revenue to be earned.
Licensing procedures will also be reviewed to ensure they do not unduly add to the applicant’s burden, she said.
“In cases where the fee rate has to be reviewed every five years in accordance with the Licencing Facilitation Act, ministerial regulations will be applied in the interim,” Ratchada said.
Fee exemptions will not be considered for “ethical licences”, she said – those required by livestock slaughterhouses and for the sale of liquor, tobacco, hazardous materials, pathogens or even antiques and artworks.
Consideration will be given to issuing licences electronically to reduce costs and foster transparency and convenience.
“The reviewing agencies must submit their recommendations to the OPDC by March, after which the OPDC will propose legal amendments to the Cabinet,” Ratchada said.