Bangkok: Korn Chatikavanij, a member of parliament from the Democrat Party, has openly criticized the Anutin government for its approach to solving energy issues, highlighting an alleged bias towards capitalists. He exposed a formula for purchasing gas for electricity generation that appears to favor private companies.
According to Thai News Agency, during a parliamentary session dedicated to presenting the government's policy statement, Mr. Korn Chatikavanij argued that the government lacks a clear strategy for addressing the oil price problem, adopting instead a wait-and-see approach as they anticipate a natural decline in world oil prices.
The government has claimed success in negotiating a reduction in the refining margin by 2 baht per liter, based on the average March margin of 7 baht. However, Mr. Korn pointed out that the actual margin is 17 baht, implying a potential reduction of up to 12 baht. This discrepancy raises concerns that the government may be favoring capitalist interests over the needs of the general populace. Additionally, Mr. Korn noted that excise taxes collected during this challenging period remain unchanged, adding to public hardship.
Mr. Korn further highlighted Thailand's reliance on gas for electricity generation, which has become more costly due to the war. He criticized power purchase agreements between the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and private firms, which allow these firms to profit more when global gas prices rise. The purchasing formula reportedly calculates gas needs as higher than actual usage, resulting in excess profits for private companies. There is also a loophole in LNG purchasing, enabling importers to sell gas to EGAT at inflated prices.
Mr. Korn asserted that the government must establish a clear policy for restructuring oil and electricity pricing to ease the public's burden.