Thai Customs Dept: Evidence confirms NGV buses originate from China

[webfact]

Customs Dept: Evidence confirms NGV buses originate from China

 

BANGKOK, 8 February 2017 (NNT) – The Customs Department continues to gather evidence to press charges against the importer of NGV buses after the latter was alleged of tax evasion. 

Mr Chaiyut Kumkun, Deputy Director-General and Spokesperson of the Customs Department, affirmed evidence has so far indicated that all 99 air-conditioned NGV buses, currently impounded and kept at Laem Chabang Port, were indeed produced and assembled in China before being imported through Malaysia to take advantage of the tax exemption policy under the ASEAN Free Trade Area. He said the buses, therefore, cannot be considered as originating from Malaysia and must be taxed. 

Mr Chaiyut said the case against Bestlin Group, the contractor of the project, is being expedited. He also defended against Bestlin’s accusation that the Customs Department abused its power by forcing the company to pay a guarantee for fines imposed on the 99 NGV buses, insisting that the measure complies with the law. 

As for the company’s claim that it was not subject to import duty due to its possession of Form D, Mr Chaiyut clarified that the document is only used in ASEAN to request a duty waiver. The importing country must first verify the origin of the goods before any waiver can be granted.

 

-- nnt 2017-02-08

[trogers]

A fraudster making an accusation?

 

How brazen can people get?

[colinneil]

Yes confirm that the buses were made in China.

Then you can charge high import dues, then use the money to help offset the  large deficit in the treasury funds  

[worgeordie]

" is being expedited",rather bloody slow I think,even my cat knows

the buses were manufactured in China,shipped to Malaysia,where

they screwed a couple of parts on them,and exported them to Thailand,

as made in Malaysia,they must have thought they were very well connected

if they thought they could get away with fraud on such a massive scale,

 

regards worgeordie

[Hayduke]

Someone didn't get paid.

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, Hayduke said:

Someone didn't get paid.

Yeah! The Taxman.

[hansnl]

The only reason the contract could be cheaper was this China/Malaysia route.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

forcing the company to pay a guarantee for fines imposed on the 99 NGV buses

So it would seem that with a highly possible official finding that the 99 buses are subjected to import taxes, tax payment is not an issue with the guarantee nor a matter of legal concern for BMTA's purchase.

 

It then becomes an economic decision for Bestlin as to whether to take a loss on further deliveries to BMTA in order to meet the conditions of the TOR, renegotiate current BMTA purchase  contract and/or future contracts (ie., discount price), or simply breach the breach the current contract and pay whatever liquidated damages specified.

[sharecropper]

3 hours ago, trogers said:

A fraudster making an accusation?

 

How brazen can people get?

Shockingly brazen. They can take over a country too....

[Golden Triangle]

Honest question: Are any of these buses on the streets of BKK yet ? I know that the company has tried to pull a fast one over BMTA/Customs/Government, but if they are now in Thailand surely the right way to go would be to get the buses on the road (and the balance of them bobbing about on the ocean) as quickly as possible, and punish Bestlin at their leisure.

 

All this faffing about is ridiculous in my opinion. 

[Lobber]

Fire engines first now buses what next >>>

[TheFishman1]

Now what TIT

[The Old Bull]

A purchase this size the government should by buying direct not using a middle man unless he is related.

[CLW]

A purchase this size the government should by buying direct not using a middle man unless he is related.

Exactly my thoughts.
It would be interesting to see which high ranking people are involved in this deal with Bestlin Group who thought they can make the deal of their life.
Anyway, I hope the busses will be soon on the road...

[Srikcir]

32 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

A purchase this size the government should by buying direct not using a middle man unless he is related.

The BMTA is a State enterprise so it's essentially quasi-government and is directly purchasing the buses. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Mass_Transit_Authority

[slapout]

The use of middle men is how the kickbacks, Letter of credit changes are made, the requirement that least 3 different bids from different companies are submitted (same people different company name), etc. the more middle men involved the more taxpayer money can be budgeted for the purchase. in fact if it were a direct purchase from manufactor for equipment, much of the real world law, limit the % of commission payment to 4 or 5% by the manufactor to his agent who would handle that all was handled legal, and there would have been no problem with customs.

been there and watched the sytem work. Thailand politicians have become too corpupt/ greedy to allow those  who are deserving, to make a living and also corrupted most of those in the private sector, they deal with. Not sure who is the worst example the bib or the politicians but both have screwed the majority of the people who call this home.

[CLW]

The use of middle men is how the kickbacks, Letter of credit changes are made, the requirement that least 3 different bids from different companies are submitted (same people different company name), etc. the more middle men involved the more taxpayer money can be budgeted for the purchase. in fact if it were a direct purchase from manufactor for equipment, much of the real world law, limit the % of commission payment to 4 or 5% by the manufactor to his agent who would handle that all was handled legal, and there would have been no problem with customs.
been there and watched the sytem work. Thailand politicians have become too corpupt/ greedy to allow those  who are deserving, to make a living and also corrupted most of those in the private sector, they deal with. Not sure who is the worst example the bib or the politicians but both have screwed the majority of the people who call this home.

I'm calling for Mister P and Article 44 [emoji23]

[JAG]

A purchase this size the government should by buying direct not using a middle man unless he is related.

I should imagine they are - related that is...

[Get Real]

4 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

A purchase this size the government should by buying direct not using a middle man unless he is related.

Yep! Family first.

[Srikcir]

2 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Yep! Family first.

No middleman was used. State-owned BMTA wrote the specs and contract documents, ran the bid auction and made the award. That's not to say there was opportunity for officials to "take a piece of the action."

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

A purchase this size the government should by buying direct not using a middle man unless he is related.

The problem is everyone is related and if not it can be arranged - for the necessary consideration of course. 

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

No middleman was used. State-owned BMTA wrote the specs and contract documents, ran the bid auction and made the award. That's not to say there was opportunity for officials to "take a piece of the action."

So there were no persons at all that recieved the import to Malaysia and later sent it to Thailand? A little bit far fetched, don´t you think?

[mduras01]

Whatever happened to just doing good business and earning a healthy profit?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[GarryP]

This makes a pleasant change. The company was clearly doing a dirty to maximize profits. It serves them right. If any "connections" were involved, I hope it hits them where it hurts too - in their pockets (but unlikely).  

[chickenslegs]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

No middleman was used. State-owned BMTA wrote the specs and contract documents, ran the bid auction and made the award. That's not to say there was opportunity for officials to "take a piece of the action."

http://www.bestlingroup.com/en/service

Quote: "We.... have become the largest distributor of Chinese-imported bus in Thailand.

 

Bestlin appears to be a Thai company. They don't manufacture buses, they import Chinese buses (built by Sunlong) to Thailand. Doesn't that make Bestlin the "middleman"?

 

[bangrak]

14 hours ago, trogers said:

A fraudster making an accusation?

 

How brazen can people get?

'trogers': T.i.T., suing the Customs Dpt. the frausters from Bestlin provide themselves with months, years of delay. 'Good old' Thaksin was a specialist in the same kind of stuff, with an army of attorneys serving him, just to name a most reknown abuser of the Thai judicial system...

[bangrak]

13 hours ago, colinneil said:

Yes confirm that the buses were made in China.

Then you can charge high import dues, then use the money to help offset the  large deficit in the treasury funds  

What is it that you would have liked better 'colinneil', the Customs Dpt. to 'arrange' things for Bestlin, maybe even closing a blind eye on their blatant FRAUD? You must be wanting to sit on these A/C fitted low-key, largely overpriced, Chinese busses, or what makes you want to let them go away with it...?

[bangrak]

10 hours ago, hansnl said:

The only reason the contract could be cheaper was this China/Malaysia route.

'hansnl': But the contract didn't get 'cheaper' by that, is it? Bestlin rather thought they were oh soo clever they could screw ...the taxpayers, over-charging the BMTA for Chinese low-Q busses, that's the issue, please don't forget! Imgine this would happen in A- (or R-) dam, how would your kins have reacted, ...or are you here too long a time?

[bangrak]

10 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Honest question: Are any of these buses on the streets of BKK yet ? I know that the company has tried to pull a fast one over BMTA/Customs/Government, but if they are now in Thailand surely the right way to go would be to get the buses on the road (and the balance of them bobbing about on the ocean) as quickly as possible, and punish Bestlin at their leisure.

 

All this faffing about is ridiculous in my opinion. 

'Golden Triangle': Precisely, ...but in reverse: first have the Customs Dpt. define how much per bus to fine Bestlin, interests and costs include, have Bestlin pay(!) for the lot, then have the BMTA re-negotiate a, new, contract with Bestlin, corresponding to the tainted goods they bring, with rock-solid guarantees for service re-calls, maintenance, spares, etc. for the BMTA to be protected AGAINST Bestlin for the estimated lifespan(!) of the busses (no bankrupcy-and-bye-bye after a year or two!)! And let the poor Bangkokians sweat a few more months when needed, they did for years already, so must have got acquainted with the stickyness already, BUT make it a deal only when THE TAXPAYERS, who are the ones footing the bill, they are 'served'! Makes sense to you, I hope? 

[bangrak]

10 hours ago, Lobber said:

Fire engines first now buses what next >>>

'Lobber': Na-ha, not at all the same story, the delivery of the fire engines was accepted, they corresponded to the contract, there the issue was the, then, Thaksinite city-state administration which got mega-bribes with and from the deal! So: I object: misleading Sir! ...But why...?