Govt hopes to keep diesel at THB30 per litre despite Russia-Ukraine war, Covid crisis
The government has announced that it will do its best to keep the price of diesel at less than 30 baht per litre despite the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has reportedly decided to implement three urgent measures to help the public, namely reducing the cost of living, easing debts and boosting investments.
Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Monday that Prayut will also meet the National Energy Policy Council on Wednesday to come up with measures to be presented to the Cabinet on March 15.
Thanakorn explained that Thailand and the rest of the world are struggling not just with the Covid-19 crisis, but also with inflation and the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war. The price of crude oil is expected to surge to US$120 per barrel. As of press time, the price of crude oil in Dubai stood at $106.58 per barrel, the Brent price was $118.11 per barrel and the West Texas price was at $110.7 per barrel.
The surge in oil prices has pushed up the cost of manufacturing and shipping, which in turn is affecting the cost of living.
Thanakorn said the public should understand the mechanics of energy prices and that the government cannot control them.
He said some measures had been put in place to deal with the uncertainty, and at this point, every sector should join hands with the authorities to tackle the world economic crisis.