Govt lashes out at Democrats' price rise claim

The ruling Pheu Thai Party yesterday hit back at the opposition Democrat Party, dismissing its claim that the government has failed to curb rising food prices.

Pheu Thai Party deputy spokesman Anuttama Amornwiwat said the rising food prices were seasonal and the Ministry of Commerce had ensured a suitable price structure of consumer goods at production, trade and consumer level. She said the Democrats’ claims of rising prices of some vegetables were false, according to surveys at Bang Kapi market.

Deputy Government Spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat denied that the government had deferred the plan to increase LPG cooking gas price because it wanted to avoid any adverse impacts on the by-election in Bangkok’s Don Mueang district. Pheu Thai Party candidate Yuranan Pamornmontri is set to face off with Democrat candidate Tankhun Jittitsara in the by-election on June 16.

Sunisa said the postponement was not only to help people in Don Muang but the whole country. The opposition, she said, made only one-sided allegations and had avoided mentioning the increase in the purchasing power of consumers as a result of the rise in the minimum wage.

Democrat Party deputy spokesperson Mallika Boonmeetrakool urged the government to present the real facts by showing price indicators of each market. The prices of chicken, pork, eggs and vegetables had increased up to 20 per cent without any sign of falling due to seasonal change. 

In addition, she said the increase in prices of agricultural produce stemmed from rising electricity prices. The farm price of an egg is Bt3.2 but during the Democrat-led government the price was Bt2.9.

Deputy Commerce Minister Natthawut Saikua said the increase in egg prices was due to the unusually hot weather that affects the hens. The ministry has sought cooperation from major egg producers not to increase the price until May as the government expected that by June or July the weather would return to normal and hens would be laying more eggs.

He hit back at the Democrats saying that when the Opposition was in power it came up with the world’s strangest idea of selling eggs by weight – a scheme that had failed to help consumers or traders in anyway.

Natthawut added that the ministry was currently checking the number of food traders who will receive compensation when the price of cooking gas is floated and no longer subsidised. He said it had been reported to him that up to 500,000 traders would need to be compensated to avoid them passing on the price rise to consumers. The government plans to provide them with specially priced menus with recommended dishes for low-income consumers.