Finance minister asserts baht won’t surge to Bt27/US dollar

Thailand’s baht currency will definitely not appreciate to Bt27 against the US dollar, or Thailand will be plunged into a trade deficit and export debacle, according to the deputy prime minister/finance minister.
Kittiratt Na-Ranong said the baht’s strengthening to Bt27 or below - if it happens - would severely impact employment in the export sector since major companies will encounter a definite slowdown on exports and shrinking production.
He said the government will refrain from issuing short-term temporary measures that surprise the public or deviate from global financial principles.
Kittiratt said he advised the central bank to reduce the policy interest rate and that he did not suggest an unrealistic rate.
The Finance Ministry merely advised that stabilization of the policy interest rate will help absorb liquidity, he said, adding that the ministry would be willing to support the use of other mechanisms.
If the Thai currency appreciates to a certain level and the central bank wants other supporting measures, the government is pleased to cooperate by issuing relevant measures, the deputy premier said. (MCOT)
 

Employers ask government for police leniency toward migrant workers

Thailand’s private sector has called on the police to refrain from arresting migrant workers who are in the process of applying for employment licenses before next month’s deadline.
Angsuras Areekul, chairman of the Thai Contractors Association, met with Labor Minister Phadermchai Sasomsub on Thursday to complain about harsh action by Thai police against migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia despite a Cabinet resolution that leniency be applied in dealing with them. The workers are required to apply for employment registration within 120 days, or by the April 13 deadline.
He said officers from various police units including tourism, highway, immigration, provincial commands and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have arrested unregistered migrant workers, worsening the problem of the labor shortage in the construction industry.
Some migrant workers have switched from construction to work in factories while contractors, especially those in five southern provinces, are in deep trouble due to an insufficient labor force, he said.
The labor minister promised to ask the national police chief to send out instructions to police nationwide.
The minister will consult with the government on the possibility of setting up a labor police unit in the Labor Ministry to be in charge of cracking down on illegal migrant workers.
Labor police should thoroughly know the labor law and handle labor disputes or offences with better understanding, he said. (MCOT)

Commerce Ministry: No corruption in government rice deals

Thailand’s Commerce Ministry on Friday quashed allegations of corruption and gave a clean bill of correctness to the government’s rice trading activity during the last three years.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce Vatchari Vimooktayon said an investigative committee has inspected relevant documents and questioned a total of 11 people and concluded that the government’s rice release in the past three years has been in accordance with the strategy imposed by the National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC).
The NRPC authorized a rice distribution sub-committee to decide the quantity, varieties, time frame and conditions for releasing rice into the market emphasizing the ultimate interest of the country, she explained.
The sub-committee’s conclusion must be stamped as certified by its chairman prior to being forwarded to the NRPC chairman for final approval before delivering the rice to buyers, she added.
Regarding an allegation of an unscrupulous rice deal with China-based GSSG Company, Vatchari said an investigation found documents endorsing GSSG as a genuine Chinese state enterprise.
The commerce minister, in his capacity as chairman of the rice release sub-committee, was authorized to negotiate with GSSG after which an agreement was signed, she said, confirming that there were signatures of Chinese-authorized dealers.
GSSG was charged with failing to transport the rice from government-to-government deal out of the country but instead re-distributed the purchased rice in Thailand.
Vatchari said the rice consignment was sold on an ‘ex-warehouse’ basis and the Commerce Ministry is not responsible for rice that left the government’s warehouses once it receives payment from the buyer.
With this system, she explained, payments to the Commerce Ministry and the government are speedy while management burden was eliminated.
She stressed that the government’s process in releasing rice from its stockpiles is complicated to prevent corruption and that allegations of corruption by some parliamentarians are groundless. (MCOT)