|
|
| • EXCH RATES |
|
Baht/$ 33.39/42
Bid/Ask
|
GOLD |
14,650
+ 150
|
|
ENERGY
Critic: LPG exported during Thai shortage
VICHAYA PITSUWAN
An odd coalition of senators, transport and fishery operators and consumer activists took turns blasting the national energy conglomerate PTT Plc for profiteering and failing to take steps to ease the pain of soaring fuel prices. They also joined to point fingers at the Energy Ministry, accusing it of failing to address high living expenses.
The criticisms were aired at a seminar on the impact of the oil crisis on industries, which was hosted by the Senate Committee on Economics, Commerce and Industry.
Rosana Tositrakul, a Bangkok senator who led an effort to bring PTT to court last year, claims the Energy Ministry has failed to implement policies that would shelter Thais from the oil crisis.
''The ministry allowed some liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from our Gulf of Thailand, our own national resource, to be exported, while claiming that it has to float LPG prices due to insufficient domestic supply. This is wrong,'' Ms Rosana said.
According to Ms Rosana, the former government led by Surayud Chulanont charged only small concession fees to PTT and Chevron for extracting natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand.
The concession fees should have been higher if the ministry wanted to maximise natural gas revenues.
She said that higher concession fees could be funnelled into oil subsidies to drive down prices for consumers.
She added that current energy policies favoured oil producers over the public's welfare.
''Their policies have raised the speculation that people in the ministry may be favouring PTT for some advantage,'' Ms Rosana said.
PTT senior executive vice-president Tevin Vongvanich was only able to deliver a statement that PTT was seeing lower profit margins compared to oil producers in neighbouring countries before being interrupted by participants.
Plaipol Kumsap, a Thammasat University economist, said that PTT was earning excessive margins.
The National Fishery Association also demanded that the Energy Ministry change its policies as soon as possible. It said fishery production costs had increased by 224%, although the sector has access to cheap diesel.The Transport Association also slammed the government for introducing impractical policies.
The transport industry also has access to low-priced fuel.
''Around 90% of the country's transport is on land, while 65% of our (transport sector) cost is fuel and I can say that none of the government measures are really helping us. We urgently need at least a measure that is practical,'' said an association representative.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Next
