Treasury department demands Bt400M from BTS
The Treasury Department has asked BTS Group Holding to pay up the Bt400 million it owes for leasing after the Cabinet ordered the department to compensate the group for piling work at a real-state development project at Morchit BTS terminal.
Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala is expected to propose a revised plan to the Cabinet for the real-estate project at the site.
The Finance Ministry has instructed the Treasury Department to collect delayed leasing payments for 17 years totalling about Bt400 million owed by BTS, which operates the Skytrain in Bangkok, according to a source in the department. The source claimed that BTS has failed to make payments for lease of the terminal and train-repair centres since 1994.
The court had previously ordered the department to pay compensation of Bt1.097 billion to BTS for piling work at Morchit for a commercial and residential project.
Naris Chaiyasoot, director-general of the department said he had submitted a revised investment plan to Deputy Finance Minister Viroon Tejapaibul. The investment is not much different from the previous plan of Bt18 billion, he said.
Naris said he expected the revised plan would be on the Cabinet’s agenda at its meeting on Tuesday.
The project has potential for development due to its proximity to the mass-transit system and other public transport hubs, he said.
The project has seen a long delay due to a legal dispute with the previous property developer and accusations of involvement in corruption.
The Cabinet in November instructed the Treasury Department to pay compensation in line with the verdict of the Supreme Administrative Court.
