FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Sepo seeks review of five-year plan

Sepo seeks review of five-year plan

THE State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo) has flagged that it wants an incoming government to review the five-year state enterprise development plan.


 The intention to call on the new government to review the development plan comes as the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) moves to forward to its board of directors the bidding result of the Bt25-billion Rama III Road-Dao Khanong-Western Outer Ring Road Expressway project on June 27.
Sepo deputy director-general Chanvit Nakburee said that the five-year state enterprise development plan arose from legislation on the development of supervision and management of state enterprises that that came into force in late May. 
 “The State Enterprise Policy Commission determines the direction in preparing the state enterprise development plan and the ministries which supervise state enterprises propose the policy framework for development and direction of investment of state enterprises,” Chanvit said. 
He said that the government led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that had earlier drafted the bill would follow up on it and this would strengthen Sepo’s role. 
Under the bill, the commission will prepare the state enterprise development plan, advise the Cabinet on issues such as policies, supervision and the management and development of state enterprises and related parties.
While setting the shareholding proportion of Ministry of Finance in state enterprises, the commission also sets the principles as incentives for them and determines measures and the allocation of compensation to state enterprises. The commission also sets the criteria to evaluate state enterprises' performance. 
Sutthisak Wanthanawijit, acting governor of Exat, said the board would be presented with the details of the bidding result for the Rama III Road-Dao Khanong-Western Outer Ring Road Expressway project on June 27. 
After the contract signing with the bid winner, Exact expects to make the first disbursement of about Bt2 billion for this project, which has faced difficulties this fiscal year.
In a case concerning Italian-Thai Development Plc's complaint over the qualifications of the bid winners in some contracts, Exat recently wrote back to the company with an explanation of the issues. It is ready to answer any further questions, Sutthisak said.
Exat is now considering the bidders’ proposals for the fifth contract of the Rama III Road-Dao Khanong-Western Outer Ring Road Expressway project and will report the progress to the board on June 27. The Bt876-million fifth contract involves the toll collection, traffic control and communications systems. 
Initially, as civil construction may take over three years, it could wait for one to two years for the bidding to be opened on the fifth contract, given that new technologies may emerge as well as cheaper prices for such technologies.
In regard to Exat’s negotiation of an extension of expressway concessions for the Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM) in exchange of settling the Bt59-billion dispute, the offer is being proposed to the Office of Attorney General. It would then be sent back to Exat before being forwarded to Ministry of Transport and the Cabinet for approval. 

Sutthisak said that yesterday Exat signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Rural Roads on cooperation to maintain and improve 30 kilometres of local roads running alongside railways from Prachachuen Road to Kanchanapisek Road. 
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said that after the MOU signing, the department will survey the problems associated with the local roads in an effort to resolve flooding problems.
 

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