Parliament, "Move Forward" suggests "Pirapan" dare to talk to big parties to cut the digital wallet budget to help reduce expensive electricity bills, teasing that it would be easy to talk after the picture of energy capitalists joining the "Khao Yai Group" The 2nd Ordinary Session of the House of Representatives, Mr. Supachai Chaisaj, MP for the Move Forward Party, asked a live question to Mr. Settha Thavisin, the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister assigned Mr. Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, to answer the question on his behalf. Mr. Supachai discussed the current high oil and energy prices, saying that as an MP, he has heard the people complaining that the oil prices are too high to handle. The measure to tighten the price of diesel at 33 baht per liter comes with problems, but the group of gasoline users has no measures to help. Therefore, he would like to ask if there are better measures than this because you have done the same thing, letting the Oil Fund bear the price difference. The Oil Fund is in the red by more than 110 billion baht, and is at risk of bankruptcy. Even though you said to let the fund borrow from commercial banks and have the Ministry of Finance guarantee it, which bank would dare to lend when the debt keeps increasing? He would like you to ask the coalition parties. If the country's income decreases, will the money that the government's core party will use to create a digital wallet be enough? In addition to the fund or reducing excise taxes, what measures or methods will help reduce oil prices for the people? Mr. Pirapan stood up to explain that before becoming the Minister of Energy, he was no different from ordinary people. He did not know what was what. When it was time to pay for petrol, he went to fill up at the pump and paid no matter how much it cost. The problem was solved on the right side, but it was solved on the left side. When he became the Minister, he saw the various problems that were issues, including the burden of the Oil Fund t hat had been in place for over 40 years. No one thought of improving it, only using the Oil Fund. He learned that the cost of petrol was 38-40 baht per liter because Thailand had two types of petroleum mixed with gasohol and biodiesel, which were priced at 21 baht. As for the oil tax, if it was to help the people, it had to be collected fairly. But if it was to generate income for the state, it had to be collected a lot. How could it be balanced? In ASEAN, there were only 3 countries that collected the tax: Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. Thailand collected 5.99 baht in excise tax, and had to pay a local development tax of 60 satang, which was 6.50 baht, including VAT and money into the Energy Conservation Fund. The people had to bear the double burden, causing the price of petrol to be almost 40 baht. The Ministry of Energy's duty is to set taxes, but not collect them. The Ministry of Finance is the one who collects them. However, the new Oil Fund Act has removed the authority, leaving only spending money . This is the reason why the government has more than 50 billion baht in debt to the Oil Fund, because it cannot set a tax ceiling. The past problem was that it was just spending money and not thinking of other ways. I think like you, don't you think about it? Today, I am thinking and doing it. We can't do anything if there is no law. You have to look at the Oil Fund Act. What authority does it have that allows the Ministry of Energy or the Minister of Energy to do this? There is none. They have always used comparisons, and if you want to increase the price, you have to ask for permission. Then, Mr. Suphachot stood up and replied that he had just learned that he would amend the law, but he was not sure whether intervening in the price would be more beneficial or detrimental to the people. He had to look at the details first and discuss it later. For the second issue, the electricity bill had increased to 4.60 baht or 6 baht per unit. The actual electricity bill was 4.10 because the money had to be used to pa y off debts from past measures. This debt was more than 100 billion baht. If the old mechanisms were still used, the debt might expand to 150 billion baht. Therefore, he wanted to ask what to do with the old debt and the new debt that will increase in the future. I would like to propose that the minister dare to talk to the coalition parties. Is it time to ask for 30-40 billion baht from the central budget instead of using this money to create a digital wallet? Use it to reduce electricity bills and the cost of living for the people. Don't use the central budget to implement the policies of only one party. Share some. I remember that when your party was campaigning, you promised to reduce electricity bills for the people. The central budget should belong to all coalition parties. It should be divided to reduce electricity bills according to the policies you campaigned on. Only then will the government be able to move forward. Or if the major parties insist on not using the central budget, I suggest that you turn around and talk to the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party. Talk to the energy capitalists who own the power plants about the unfair power purchase agreements with the people. I believe that the ministers understand that the people have to pay for the power plants that were built but never started. I suggest that you talk to the energy capitalists because the pictures that came out from Khao Yai show that you are close to each other, not for anyone but for the benefit of the people. Is it time to use the power of the Minister of Energy to solve the problem? Mr. Pirapan explained that this was a problem that had been festering since he became a minister. He had the Council of State and the public prosecutor look at the contract to see what could be reduced or amended because the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is a government agency, not a private company. It does not need to generate profits for the company or share them with shareholders, but it must send money to the government. He agreed with the government that they must sit down and think about how to reduce the cost of electricity. He had already given the policy to the new governor to think about. Mr. Suphachot also asked that the burden of debt is like a ticking time bomb, that electricity and oil prices are the result of past misplanning, caused by the construction of more power plants than necessary. To be fair, Mr. Pirapan did not cause this problem because it existed before he took office, but in the draft of the new national energy plan that came out in June, he made the same mistake as before under his administration. 'You are causing this country to have more power plants than necessary, 8 more in 13 years. This draft plan is taking the country in a bad direction. Electricity prices are going up. We can't reduce pollution. You have to work for the country, not to please energy investors. I still wonder who is the real Minister of Energy. Please confirm to the parliament and the people that you are the Minister of Thailand, working for th e people.' Mr. Phiraphan explained that he did not draft the plan, he was only the director. But the plan will set the electricity price at 3.80-3.90 baht. The new plan must use technology and the main agencies must think of how to make the electricity price cheaper. In the end, he must pay the electricity price. He also emphasized that the Minister of Energy is named Phiraphan. If he is an MP and does not know, he must go back and review it. Source: Thai News Agency
Saturday, September 07, 2024