Govt agrees to provide cheap diesel and loans
AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
Truck operators called off their planned protest to bring convoys of trucks to Bangkok after the Transport Ministry gave in to their demand for subsidised diesel prices and low-interest loans to be made available to convert their engines to compressed natural gas. Transport Ministry representatives yesterday met truck operators to discuss an assistance package.
Deputy Transport permanent secretary Piyaphan Champasut, who chaired the meeting, said the ministry would seek cabinet approval to allocate cheap diesel and provide low-interest loans to hauliers as well as reduce taxes on new trucks powered by compressed natural gas (NGV).
The ministry wanted the Land Transport Federation of Thailand (LTFT), which represents the truck operators, to submit details of the amount of diesel its members wanted to use and the allocation of fuel among its members.
However, Mr Piyaphan said not all truck operators would receive a subsidy of three baht per litre of diesel as earlier demanded by the federation. The Energy Ministry could allocate only 122 million litres of subsidised priced diesel per month for a period of six months.
The government has so far knocked three baht a litre off the price of diesel for fishery, farm and bus operators. This leaves only 40-50 million litres of cheap diesel per month for truckers.
The ministry would urgently forward to the Finance Ministry the operators' demands for cheap loans and the establishment of a 20-billion-baht fund to support the conversion of their truck engines to compressed natural gas and a tax reduction on new trucks with NGV engines.
He said the ministry would consult the Energy Ministry and PTT Plc on measures to promote the use of NGV by trucks.
PTT recently promised to increase the number of NGV gas stations to at least 355 across the country this year and also to improve the quality of natural gas.
Yoo Chianyuenyongpong , president of the LTFT, said the federation was satisfied with the ministry's assistance measures and had called off the planned protest by the truckers.
It would today submit details of the amount of cheap diesel for trucks and fuel allocation plan.
He said the federation would hold talks with some of its members who were still dissatisfied with the results of yesterday's meeting with the Transport Ministry. He insisted the federation was united.
Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri said he would immediately forward a proposal on assistance measures for truck operations for cabinet approval next week.
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