Four Thai agencies have until March to buck up

[webfact]

Four agencies have until March to buck up
ERICH PARPART
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha is personally monitoring the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) after warning seven loss-making agencies he will issue a "red card" to those that fail to follow their business-rehabilitation plan before the March deadline.

Thai Airways International (THAI), the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and CAT Telecom have been named by the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO) as the four bodies still lagging behind.

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand, Islamic Bank and TOT have, so far, managed to follow rehabilitation plans submitted earlier this year.

"All seven state-owned enterprises are equally important and they have all been given a deadline. Some of them have to come up with a quick-win plan by December, which is a 'yellow card'. Their business-rehabilitation plans have to be tangible by March or else they will receive a 'red card' by March as ordered by the prime minister himself," Ekniti Nitithanprapas, SEPO's director-general, said.

He spoke after a meeting of the SOE Committee chaired by Prayut to follow up on the rehabilitation plans yesterday.

"If I am to provide an example then Thai Airways is way behind in their business rehabilitation plan and SEPO has urged all THAI personnel and related agencies to work together to help improve the situation," he said.

THAI, the BMTA, SRT and CAT have been asked to come up with "quick-win" plans before December.

THAI has already submitted a plan to boost its income by Bt1.43 billion and lower expenditure by Bt1.56 billion.

This was approved in principle by SEPO yesterday, while the Transport and Finance ministries have been tasked with coming up with a long-term plan for the national carrier.

The BMTA has been told to come up with a plan to lower its expenses and increase income by the end of this month. SEPO has instructed the Transport Ministry to hurry up with the proposal to cancel 1983 Cabinet resolution, to provide clarity in management of the BMTA bus schedule, speed up the procuring 489 NGV buses and to reconsider its order for some 3,000 NGV buses so it matches the current economic conditions and comes at a time of low-global oil prices.

The SRT, meanwhile, has been instructed to come up with a plan to utilise "non-core" land (areas owned by the SRT that does not have any railway passing through it) and to provide SEPO with details of this land before the end of November.

Unused land will be turned into public spaces to provide benefits to society with places for markets, while the SRT has also been told to let private companies to co-invest in the Red Line Mass Transit System and the Airport Rail Link, Ekniti said.

"Using SRT's non-core land is the best way to revitalise the state-owned firm," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Four-agencies-have-until-March-to-buck-up-30272611.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-10

[Somtamnication]

What about 4 months to the Royal Thai Police and the Dept. of Education?

[NCC1701A]

"he will issue a "red card"

[shirtless]

In 4 months time he will reissue the same warning, but he will speak from the heart god bless you Prayut

[Rhys]

Progress works in many ways and speeds..

Edited November 10, 2015 by Rhys

[ExpatOilWorker]

How come CAT is losing money?

From the shiny glass building at the river I always thought CAT was a virtual cash cow.

[NongKhaiKid]

How about telling the Ministry of Tourism to cut out the BS ?

No, that would be going too far !

[Strangebrew]

Was the wrong letter used in title? Because me thinks they done a banged up job not fixing a thing.

[waldroj]

"Red card"!

[chainarong]

Perhaps it would be a better idea to place all the cards on the table instead of issuing soccer penalty's , these agencies are but of many that don't perform at international standards, no government department in Thailand does , every where you go there is different requirements from the same departments, everyone seems to have there own interpretation, so it is not only whether they run at a profit it is all the waste in the paper chase and you wounder sometimes why they even have computers and talk about slow , it is indeed interesting conducting business in Thailand, that's why I leave it to the Thai's.....................

[jaywalker]

What about 4 months to the Royal Thai Police and the Dept. of Education?

Be careful what you ask for about the RTP, as this part "The BMTA has been told to come up with a plan to lower its expenses and increase income by the end of this month. " struck me as, ummm, errr, maybe better if the RTP stayed away from the Increase Income department.

[jacky54]

why does the state own an Islamic bank?

[GAZZPA]

How strange, state owned businesses can be given just 6 or 7 weeks to produce a plan for reform and will be judged on performance in just 4 months time to decide if a "red card" will be issued.

And yet, 18 months after the Junta we are still waiting for the reforms (which was the whole point of the takeover and the promised action plan was to implement reforms) and now we are being told it will be another 18 months,, or thereabouts.

Don't get me wrong I applaud the tough stance on state owned enterprises that burn money through inefficiency (or perhaps even corruption) but it is a true double standard for himself, the PM.

[FangFerang]

All of those companies pay do-nothing executives huge salaries, and rob their maintenance programs with fake receipts and bogus invoices.

They should have been given red cards in 1974.

[EnglishJohn]

In 4 months time he will reissue the same warning, but he will speak from the heart god bless you Prayut

Quite right because nobody in any of the organisations wants to change the little number they have. He will meet with obstruction and reasons 'why not' at every step.

I'm pretty sure he has given up completely in any possibility of changing the Thai police. The rot in that once is endemic from the lowest levels right to the top. They will be thinking they just have to sit it out and delay until elections are held so they can get back to normal.

[Krataiboy]

Up five rivers without a paddle.

[welshissan]

In 4 months time he will reissue the same warning, but he will speak from the heart god bless you Prayut

Quite right because nobody in any of the organisations wants to change the little number they have. He will meet with obstruction and reasons 'why not' at every step.

I'm pretty sure he has given up completely in any possibility of changing the Thai police. The rot in that once is endemic from the lowest levels right to the top. They will be thinking they just have to sit it out and delay until elections are held so they can get back to normal.

John,I totally agree with your first paragraph because their are too many snouts in a lot of troughs no matter what colour they support!

Unfortunately you seem to have missed the numerous times that the current PM has stated that he will not even try to reform the RTP! He is leaving that for some other poor sod to sort! Either no balls or to many toes to tread on, skeletons in the cupboard or coconspirators, which do you believe?

[rodknock]

how about the statement made that "ALL" BTS station would have elevators by the end of the year 2015 for handicapped access!!!!!!

never happened.

just more dog and pony show TALK, no action!!

they make statements and never have the BALLS to act upon them. only thing they care about is how much is in there brown bags.

[Thailand]

Don't all of these agencies have senior military personnel in their ranks now? Demotions or inactive posts on the way perhaps.

Perhaps they should put sargeants in positions of power. If the armed forces here operate the same way as many countries these are the guys that really get things done.

[Reigntax]

In 4 months time he will reissue the same warning, but he will speak from the heart god bless you Prayut

Quite right because nobody in any of the organisations wants to change the little number they have. He will meet with obstruction and reasons 'why not' at every step.

I'm pretty sure he has given up completely in any possibility of changing the Thai police. The rot in that once is endemic from the lowest levels right to the top. They will be thinking they just have to sit it out and delay until elections are held so they can get back to normal.

John,I totally agree with your first paragraph because their are too many snouts in a lot of troughs no matter what colour they support!

Unfortunately you seem to have missed the numerous times that the current PM has stated that he will not even try to reform the RTP! He is leaving that for some other poor sod to sort! Either no balls or to many toes to tread on, skeletons in the cupboard or coconspirators, which do you believe?

You shouldnt talk about Juntajohns pin up boy like that. He believes every word his master of spin and deception says.

[waldroj]

Don't all of these agencies have senior military personnel in their ranks now? Demotions or inactive posts on the way perhaps.

Perhaps they should put sargeants in positions of power. If the armed forces here operate the same way as many countries these are the guys that really get things done.

Couldn't agree more!

Especially for the commander's position.

[kaorop]

Up five rivers without a paddle.

Its the comic output that these threads draw that make them worth reading.

Unfortunately I have no addition

But, as the west found some 25 yrs ago, cuts rather than increases in revenue

is the easy way for nasty bean counters to balance the books.

And we know what cut will be first, maintenance and customer service, which are already mostly abysmal.

[Thailand]

Don't all of these agencies have senior military personnel in their ranks now? Demotions or inactive posts on the way perhaps.

Perhaps they should put sargeants in positions of power. If the armed forces here operate the same way as many countries these are the guys that really get things done.

Couldn't agree more!

Especially for the commander's position.

Schultz.jpg

And the original!

[Thai at Heart]

In 4 months time he will reissue the same warning, but he will speak from the heart god bless you Prayut

Quite right because nobody in any of the organisations wants to change the little number they have. He will meet with obstruction and reasons 'why not' at every step.

I'm pretty sure he has given up completely in any possibility of changing the Thai police. The rot in that once is endemic from the lowest levels right to the top. They will be thinking they just have to sit it out and delay until elections are held so they can get back to normal.

John,I totally agree with your first paragraph because their are too many snouts in a lot of troughs no matter what colour they support!

Unfortunately you seem to have missed the numerous times that the current PM has stated that he will not even try to reform the RTP! He is leaving that for some other poor sod to sort! Either no balls or to many toes to tread on, skeletons in the cupboard or coconspirators, which do you believe?

He doesn't want to stir up a hornets nest. The police are loyal to the oppo. The last thing he wants is to pick that fight

[welshissan]

I agree with your statement too,but

What I can see is that he has regulated the lottery to 80baht a ticket,but nothing else to reconcile the country!

Purging the opposition and selective prosecutions of certain individuals is not going to bring happiness back to this nation,most likely more division!

Like I have stated before, I have lived here long enough to remember the last time the Democrats were in power. Nothing changes except the colour of the snouts in the trough!

[phoenixdoglover]

Step 1 - sell THAI

Step 2 - sell CAT

Step 3 - eliminate BMTA subsidies

Step 4 - put SRT under receivership

Edited November 10, 2015 by phoenixdoglover

[beerzy]

Ony 4 agencies se to improve....he must be joking