Thailand: Activists oppose longer Chevron concession

Thailand: Activists oppose longer Chevron concession

THE THAI Energy Reform Watch group (TER Watch) yesterday urged the
government to reverse its decision to extend a petroleum concession to US
oil giant Chevron.

TER Watch, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Kamolpan Cheewapansri and General
Kittisak Ratprasert, yesterday submitted a petition to Prime Minister
General Prayut Chan-o-cha opposing his Cabinet's resolution on December 6 to
give Chevron 10 more years to explore and produce oil and gas in the B8/32
block in the Gulf of Thailand after its current 20-year concession expires
in 2020.

The energy activist group also urged the military-led government to hasten
its amendment of two petroleum laws and return PTT's gas pipelines to the
public.

TER Watch member and former finance minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala
wrote in a Facebook post that the petroleum law permitted a government to
extend a concession only after the concessionaire had abided by every rule
and condition stated in the concession contract.

"Therefore, in a case where the concession holder still has problems
concerning non-compliance to the country's tax and duty regulations . would
it make the Cabinet's submission against the law?" Thirachai wrote.

Chevron has been the subject of a tax examination relating to oil
transported to its offshore rigs, with the Customs Department claiming that
the company failed to pay taxes amounting to Bt3 billion.

The petroleum law that allows a private company to extend its concession by
10 years after benefiting from it for 20 years, without entering a contest,
is causing a disadvantage to the country with no reason, Thirachai wrote.

Meanwhile, leaders of the employees' union of the Electricity Generating
Authority of Thailand yesterday handed a letter to Democrat Party leader
Abhisit Vejjajiva urging the party to withdraw its suggestion that the
government abort its coal-fired power project in Krabi.

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com