Kittiratt to meet EC on what measures may break election laws

[webfact]

Kittiratt to meet EC on what measures may break election laws
Piyanart Sivalo
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Some economic stimulus measures may have to be scrapped, including the waiver of the diesel excise tax, if the Election Commission considers that they violate the election law by promoting the government.

"Most of the schemes were approved and I will discuss this with the EC to avoid delays," Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said after the caretaker Cabinet meeting yesterday.

The hot topic was how to keep the economy humming through the next two months despite the political instability and drop in domestic demand.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra instructed Kittiratt to ensure that the economy runs smoothly and to encourage private investment amid the delays in public spending.

Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said that when the Finance Ministry was occupied by protesters from November 25 to December 9, planned project procurements were delayed.

The Cabinet also worried that if the February 2 election does not go through, investor confidence may be impaired and that could spur further capital outflows.

Kittirat also instructed government agencies to carry on with their projects while preparing to hand them over so that there is a seamless transition when the new administration is sworn in.

To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre.

The Yingluck government has been approving extensions of the waivers on a monthly basis. The latest extension will end this month.

Kittiratt sees the need to prolong the government's low interest loan programme for businesses in the troubled deep South, which would also end this month.

He reassured all farmers with rice-pledging certificates that they would receive their money from the government, but only for the main crop. The next government will have to decide if this would be extended to cover the second crop.

The subsidies to rubber farmers would also be paid. Out of the Bt21 billion budget, about Bt10 billion has not yet been paid out.

While ordering government agencies to do what they can to drive economic growth within legal limits, Yingluck also told the National Economic and Social Development Board to summarise political impacts on the economy for the Cabinet to consider at next week's meeting.

What could be affected

Diesel excise tax: Bt5.70/litre waiver ends this month

Soft loans to businesses in the deep South: package ends this month

Rice pledging: to cover the main crop only, ends in February

Subsidy to rubber growers: of Bt21 billion budget, payment of Bt11 billion pending.

Source: The Nation

-- The Nation 2013-12-18

[Ricardo]

"Subsidy to rubber growers: of Bt21 billion budget, payment of Bt11 billion pending"

No problem, they mostly vote the wrong way, anyway !

Just so long as the current-harvest rice-payments are 'safe', eh ?

Nothing political about this, at all !

But the "drop in domestic demand" looks worrying, the Thai economy looks to be in growing trouble, this year.

Cue for a song ? "There may be trouble ahead ... !"

Let's hope not, for Thailand's sake !

[EricBerg]

Then ditch the rice scheme.

[NongKhaiKid]

Wow, they want to obey the law !

[Estrada]

The first time I met Kittiratt Na Ranong, 16 years ago, he was giving a talk to his Rotary Club in Phuket on the rubber Industry. He introduced himself to me as a major rubber farmer with a vast amount of land including several islands off the coast of Phuket. So as a major rubber farmer, how much of the B21Billion did he receive?

[Spare]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

[jonclark]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

Pretty crap bribe (if that's what it actually was) when compared to;

the free tablet for each school student, (although not the Samsung Model waved about by YL, which must have been a disappointment!)

15'000 baht starting wage for degree holders

300 baht a day minimum wage,

and a guaranteed 15'000 baht a ton for Jasmine rice for farmers,

free credit cards for farmers and taxi drivers

which PTP promised if you voted for them - Bribes or economic stimuli? Your answer will determine which side of the political fence you sit on.

[Nibbles48]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

No... he did it to relieve the burden on industry as the prices rose after the Thaksin PTT sell off.

Fuel prices affect the entire economy as it pushes up prices of almost everything. So it also keeps inflation in check.

Learn fiscal politics before chiming in. Not everyone uses populist policies to garner votes like Thaksin.. The diesel waiver is NOT the same as the rice scam.

Spot the difference?

Edited December 18, 2013 by Nibbles48

[ggold]

Wow, they want to obey the law !

That's why the rice payments will continue, and all other payments end or haven't begun! Must keep the voters paid, at least till February.

[tomross46]

All the political parties know the law. Like all politicians they will try their best to manipulate the laws, for their own profit. Honest politician is an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp.

[rreddin]

Then ditch the rice scheme.

To be even handed they would also have to ditch the rubber subsidy.

[rreddin]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

No... he did it to relieve the burden on industry as the prices rose after the Thaksin PTT sell off.

Fuel prices affect the entire economy as it pushes up prices of almost everything. So it also keeps inflation in check.

Learn fiscal politics before chiming in. Not everyone uses populist policies to garner votes like Thaksin.. The diesel waiver is NOT the same as the rice scam.

Spot the difference?

Most of the trucks I see use LPG, which is much cheaper than diesel. Nearly all of the local songtaews use LPG and did not Bangkok introduce a fleet of LPG powered busses? If it was not vote buying it was a populist policy - but the Dems don't do populist policies, do they?

[rubl]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

Pretty crap bribe (if that's what it actually was) when compared to;

the free tablet for each school student, (although not the Samsung Model waved about by YL, which must have been a disappointment!)

15'000 baht starting wage for degree holders

300 baht a day minimum wage,

and a guaranteed 15'000 baht a ton for Jasmine rice for farmers,

free credit cards for farmers and taxi drivers

which PTP promised if you voted for them - Bribes or economic stimuli? Your answer will determine which side of the political fence you sit on.

Minor correction.

15,000/tonne for standard paddy, 20,000/tonne for Jasmine rice

http://www.thairiceexporters.or.th/Int%20news/News_2013/int_news_250913-1.html

[fab4]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

No... he did it to relieve the burden on industry as the prices rose after the Thaksin PTT sell off.

Fuel prices affect the entire economy as it pushes up prices of almost everything. So it also keeps inflation in check.

Learn fiscal politics before chiming in. Not everyone uses populist policies to garner votes like Thaksin.. The diesel waiver is NOT the same as the rice scam.

Spot the difference?

You want fiscal politics? "Not everyone uses populist policies to garner votes" - of course they don't..............

The key to the turnaround, Vejjajiva told Forbes, are two stimulus programs– $3 billion last year in direct cash payments to the elderly, subsistence farmers and students, as well as a new $40 billion 3 year infrastructure program , that is meant to assure at least a 5% growth in Thailand’s gdp. Prior to the Forbes interview, the PM had made his positive, bullish pitch to a Goldman Sachs sponsored investor meeting just down the hall from his suite.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2010/09/24/thai-prime-minister-extolls-economic-turnaround/

(Reuters) - The two main parties contesting Thailand's parliamentary election on Sunday have proposed strikingly similar policies that focus heavily on winning over the rural poor, building up infrastructure and other populist measures. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/03/us-thailand-election-policies-idUSTRE7620CU20110703

[Siripon]

Y

The key to the turnaround, Vejjajiva told Forbes, are two stimulus programs– $3 billion last year in direct cash payments to the elderly, subsistence farmers and students, as well as a new $40 billion 3 year infrastructure program , that is meant to assure at least a 5% growth in Thailand’s gdp. Prior to the Forbes interview, the PM had made his positive, bullish pitch to a Goldman Sachs sponsored investor meeting just down the hall from his suite.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2010/09/24/thai-prime-minister-extolls-economic-turnaround/

(Reuters) - The two main parties contesting Thailand's parliamentary election on Sunday have proposed strikingly similar policies that focus heavily on winning over the rural poor, building up infrastructure and other populist measures. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/03/us-thailand-election-policies-idUSTRE7620CU20110703

Fab 4, are you in Thailand?

Quoting Reuters is no reflection of the reality here.

In the last election Pheua Thai produced millions of posters and billboards proclaiming their populist policies on every street corner and soi in Thailand. The Democrats had nothing like that.

Chalk and cheese.

I expect Kittirat asked the EC if it's okay to tell a white lie as he did about the projected export figures a few months ago.

After all the Ombudsman forgave him, so I guess it's okay.

[tingtongteesood]

"To maintain the diesel pump price below Bt30 per litre, the Abhisit government in May 2011 waived the excise tax of Bt5.30 per litre as well as the value-added tax of 40 satang per litre."

I wonder why Mark did that? To bribe the voters?

Hello Mr. red shirt. There is also a chance that he did this for economic reasons as all goods have to be delivered and if petrol costs rise then so to do the costs of ALL goods from computers to apples and thus there would be rising costs. Learn some economics like the rest of you reds should, then you may understand how PT have been killing the economy.

Edit : Sorry Nibbles, didn't know you already said this as I hadn't read that far. Thanks for being a voice of reason, I appreciate your rational thoughts...

Edited December 18, 2013 by tingtongteesood