The government will soon wrap up its sale by auction of 15,000 tonnes of rice left over from the Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) has been instructed to speed up talks with the three remaining bidders after three others including the winner were disqualified due to their links with companies facing legal action related to previous auctions by the PWO, he said on Friday.
The disqualified parties are V8 Intertrading Co, Thanasan Rice Co and SSMR Karnkaset Plc, said a source.
The source added that although they did not directly damage the PWO at previous auctions, they were found to have ties with parties that had done so at former auctions of cassava and rice.
The PWO now aims to negotiate a higher offer with the remaining three companies that offered to purchase the rice at a price lower than that quoted by the disqualified winners, said Mr Phumtham.
The highest bidders will be awarded the right to buy the rice stored at each of the two warehouses, said the minister.
"I'd like for this auction sale, which has so far raised quite a high price for the rice, to end well. But if it's impossible to seal the deal, this auction will be nullified, and a new one will be called," he said.
For the 11,656 tonnes stored at the Kittichai warehouse, B N K Agriculture 2024 Co offered the second-highest price of about 16 baht per kilogramme, followed by Sup Saeng Thong Rice Co (15.61 baht). Regarding the other 3,356 tonnes stored at the Poonpon Trading Co warehouse, Sahatan Co offered the second-highest price of 18.69 baht, while B N K offered 16 baht.