Thailand: Pridiyathorn objects to military's planned national oil corp

Thailand: Pridiyathorn objects to military's planned national oil corp

Former deputy prime minister Pridiyathorn Devakula complained on Monday of
an "irregular move by the military" to form a national oil corporation that
he said would have unrestrained power.

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is due to debate the Petroleum Bill
in its second and third readings on Thursday, MR Pridiyathorn told a media
conference at the Thai Journalists Association in Bangkok on Monday.

Section 10/1 of the bill stated that a national oil corporation would be set
up "when all is in readiness", he said. This readiness would be based on a
feasibility study by various agencies.

This section had not been in the bill during the first reading, and had been
"irregularly" added, he said. It would centralise all authority in the
management and allocation of national energy in one organisation.

A group of military officers was behind the addition of the new provision in
the Petroleum Bill prior to its second reading, MR Pridiyathorn said.

During his tenure as a deputy prime minister, six former high-ranking
military officers in the NLA had surprisingly asked the Prayut Chan-o-cha
government to add the establishment of a national oil corporation to the
bill, he said.

It was an attempt to control national energy sources and businesses, MR
Pridiyathorn said.

"It is strange that the first reading of the Petroleum Bill did not include
the national oil corporation. Why does it emerge in the second reading, and
why does the cabinet let it happen? The irregularity can be stopped if the
NLA votes against this bill, which may affect the nation," MR Pridiyathorn
said.

"Such a corporation with rights to all petroleum sources in the country
could do more than one may imagine. It could organise bidding contests, or
even form subsidiaries.

"When regulation and operation rest within one organisation, who will do the
scrutiny? Finally, we cannot control it. If politicians later influence it,
you will be sorry," he said.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1222224/pridiyathorn-objects-to-mili
tarys-planned-national-oil-corp

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com