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Ex-ministers oppose move for Thailand to join CPTPP

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

Two former ministers have united in opposing Thailand joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

 

Ex-deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister and Agrinature Foundation chairman Wiwat Salyakamthorn encouraged natural agriculturists across the country to join hands in opposing the move to join the CPTPP, as it would only benefit companies but destroy food security.

 

The CPTPP is a free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

 

Former public health minister Mongkol na Songkhla, who also joined the movement, said that the CPTPP negotiations had been done while the United States, which initiated the grouping, withdrew when Donald Trump became president. But the content of the agreement is still a draft from superpowers hoping to exploit developing countries or less developed countries in many matters, especially in access to drugs and seeds.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has tried to push Thailand to join this agreement during the past 6-7 years. The matter will be proposed to the Cabinet on April 28.

 

"During 2006-07, Thailand announced a compulsory licence [CL] to import HIV/Aids drugs and cancer drugs to take care of thousands of people in the national health insurance system. If the government joins the CPTPP, it will not be able to do CL," Mongkol warned. "This is a scary story. It is also affecting farmers. Farmers will not be able to keep seeds for planting in the next season and have to go to buy every time. If they collect seeds, they will be arrested by the authorities for breaking the law."

 

According to Mongkol, after the US withdrew from the TPP agreement in 2015, there are 11 countries of which Thailand has FTAs with nine countries. Only Canada and Mexico can be considered as new markets. The benefits that Thailand will receive are therefore quite low. It is expected that the GDP will increase by 0.12 per cent or Bt13.3 billion. The investment will increase by 5.14 per cent or Bt148 billion.

 

In addition, the meeting agenda for Cabinet also states that of the 30 clauses in the agreement, Thailand is able to comply with only 15.

 

The remaining chapters have to make policy decisions on important and sensitive issues, in particular the cancellation of import duties on 99 per cent of all products, the abolition of agricultural protection measures, the prohibition of restrictions on alcohol labels, investment protection from the first level of business, a permanent ban on electronic taxation, the opening of the market for state procurement, or prohibition of privileges to entrepreneurs in Thailand such as do not define Thai innovation accounts, do not specify that Thai products must be used, prohibiting the transfer of technology, and forced participation in The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, which the Thailand Research Institute has warned would create a monopoly of seeds and would not benefit local breeders and farmers.

 

However, the document does not include concerns of the Ministry of Public Health that this agreement will restrict the enforcement of Thai rights, not including public non-commercial use as Thailand used during 2006-07.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386814

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-27

 

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Pharmacy Council urges caution over Thailand joining the CPTPP

 

 

The Pharmacy Council of Thailand (PCT) has urged the Government not to rush into joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, fearing that early entry, without taking into account inputs from all stakeholders, may hurt the domestic pharmaceutical industry and hinder access to affordable medicines.

 

The PCT voiced its concern after it learned that Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak will propose, at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, that Thailand should send a letter of intent to the trade bloc, expressing its intent to join the grouping.

 

Since the submission of the letter is the first step in entering into the multi-lateral agreement, the PCT suggested that the Thai government should not offer to amend certain Thai regulations, to bring them in line with CPTPP, but should make use of the current Thai regulations as a bargaining chip to protect Thai national interests relating to the country’s health care system and patent linkage.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pharmacy-council-urges-caution-over-thailand-joining-the-cptpp/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-04-27

 

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[727Sky]

Quote

"During 2006-07, Thailand announced a compulsory licence [CL] to import HIV/Aids drugs and cancer drugs to take care of thousands of people in the national health insurance system. If the government joins the CPTPP, it will not be able to do CL," Mongkol warned. "This is a scary story. It is also affecting farmers. Farmers will not be able to keep seeds for planting in the next season and have to go to buy every time. If they collect seeds, they will be arrested by the authorities for breaking the law."

Why would any country even contemplate joining ?

[DrTuner]

They'd rather join CCP.

[Chang_paarp]

Scare mongering by those with vested interests. The pharmacy objection ignores how Australia, for example, buys drugs for it's Medicare system. More to the point is this quote;

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In addition, the meeting agenda for Cabinet also states that of the 30 clauses in the agreement, Thailand is able to comply with only 15.

 

[hotchilli]

FTA is an alien phrase to Thailand.

They export what the want and "luxury tax" the hell out of any imports to protect domestic products.

 

[nahkit]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

"This is a scary story. It is also affecting farmers. Farmers will not be able to keep seeds for planting in the next season and have to go to buy every time. If they collect seeds, they will be arrested by the authorities for breaking the law."

PepsiCo, the owner of Lay's potato chips, sued a small group of Indian farmers for growing a potato variety it says belongs to it alone. The food and drink giant says it has had exclusive rights to the FL-2027 potato in India since 2016

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/pepsico-suing-indian-farmers-accused-growing-unique-lays-potato-2019-4

 

PepsiCo dropped the suit against the farmers after an outcry in the Indian press.

[GreasyFingers]

1 hour ago, Chang_paarp said:

Scare mongering by those with vested interests. The pharmacy objection ignores how Australia, for example, buys drugs for it's Medicare system. More to the point is this quote;

 

Have you compared the price at pharmacies here to those in Australia. They are almost embarrassingly cheap.

Edited April 27, 2020 by GreasyFingers