Govt defends NCPO’s order no. 9/2559

Vipaporn Pooritanasarn

BANGKOK, 13 March 2016 (NNT) – The government has defended order no. 9/2559 recently issued by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), saying that it will boost the country’s economy.

Government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the NCPO’s order no. 9/2559 was actually meant to promote the well-being of the public through government mega-projects and a revamp of disaster prevention and mitigation.

The new order enables state agencies responsible for urgent projects such as the construction of a hospital, or transport and irrigation systems to ask for the cabinet's permission to put the project out to tender, without the need to complete an environmental impact assessment (EIA) or environmental health impact assessment (EHIA) first.

In response to critics’ disapproval, Maj Gen Sansern explained that the order would help speed up mega-projects which would improve the economy and the quality of life of the people. Maj Gen Sansern confirmed that contractors would not be allowed to begin any project before an EIA or EHIA was completed.

The spokesman added that the government, the National Legislative Assembly and the National Reform Steering Assembly were reviewing the processes involved in obtaining an EIA and EHIA to pave the way for sustainable conservation of national resources and the environment.

-- NNT 2016-03-13

So to speed up their failures, now we bypass anything to do with the environment, borrow mega bucks to prove whatever...(BOOT by China)....and now high up comments on the govt. failings after 2 years...!

Something has to break soon...........!

They sure are desperate to get these big projects underway, i wonder why that could be...............

They sure are desperate to get these big projects underway, i wonder why that could be...............

They need something they can spin in a positive way before the charter inevitably fails and they need to delay elections until 2019.

They sure are desperate to get these big projects underway, i wonder why that could be...............

They need something they can spin in a positive way before the charter inevitably fails and they need to delay elections until 2019.

I doubt they care about spinning anything, more creating wealth before it all falls apart....

They sure are desperate to get these big projects underway, i wonder why that could be...............

And equally desperate to not actually implement any reforms. I wonder why that could be......

"Look before you leap" just went out the window !

This is presumably aimed at bypassing the locals in Krabi who don't want seven new coal fired plants built (generating tons of waste) without an environmental impact assessment.

Edited March 13, 201610 yr by Praematura

Government working in the best interests of the people.......not sure which people though!

Didn't some bloke say his gov was transparent and a democratic leader? and when checks n balance comes in, no no no we will bypass them for the good of?????????????????????????????????????????????????

To recap:

State agencies can ask for the cabinet's permission to put a project out to bid without the need to complete an environmental impact assessment (EIA) or environmental health impact assessment (EHIA) first.

But contractors would not be allowed to begin any project before an EIA or EHIA was completed.

How can a contractor bid on a project not knowing the final requirements that might be imposed by an EIA or EIHA? Such provisions might bankrupt a company or sue the state for compensation. A way to reduce a contractor's financial exposure in a such a bid might be to covertly coordinate with state agencies before making a bid for guarantees as to what mitigations an EIA or EHIA might require.

But that collusion would be corruption.