The government will seek the Administrative Court's permission to allow some of the 65 suspended industrial projects to resume operations, once it receives required input from the Industry Ministry.
The economic ministers yesterday told the Industry Ministry to single out projects which have operated or have proceeded and have clearly caused no environmental impacts.
The information must be ready by December 18, and submitted for the Cabinet's consideration next Tuesday. Then, the government units would start the appeal process.
"The ministers agreed that there must be clarity on the suspended projects. The Industry Ministry must speed up coordination with the private sector to check the progress of each project in detail, and the data would be used in the appeal. The ministry must also send the data to the court when the investigation of each project is completed," said Prime Minister's Office Vice Minister Puttipong Punnakan.
The Cabinet next Tuesday expects to consider details of industrial projects from the Industry and Energy ministries. All the 65 projects have been notified of the Supreme Administrative Court's suspension orders.
Initial data showed that 10 projects with a combined investment of Bt29.4 billion have been operational while 29 projects with an investment of Bt180.87 billion are under construction.
Eighteen projects with an investment of Bt26.67 billion are awaiting operating licences. The remaining seven projects worth Bt13.12 billion have not yet applied for licences or have shown unclear status.
According to the Industry Ministry, among the 10 projects which are operational include the petrochemical pipeline project, the expansion phase of two Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estates in Map Ta Phut and Pluak Daeng, and RIL Industrial Park's expansion.
The ministers concluded that primarily, the suspension would directly affect investments worth Bt124.2 billion and annualised revenue of Bt108.12 billion. The suspension would also hit 15,000 jobs.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry was also ordered to complete the health impact assessment (HIA) guidelines within December. Meanwhile, the government may establish the independent environment body under PM's Office regulation, with the implementation of the supporting law expected thereafter.
Government agencies, which are members of the four-party panel tasked with resolving industrial conflicts, have also urged to propose that the panel limit its scope of consideration on 19 Map Ta Phut projects. Then, the panel can spend more time to consider rules on other projects and those in other areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu was also assigned to ensure that the HIA guidelines are completed this month.
Owners of the suspended projects are evaluating the financial damage from the suspension, including Mitsubishi Rayon, a Japanese synthetic fibre-maker, which sets up Thai MMA with SCG Chemicals. The plant was scheduled to start production in the second quarter of 2010.
JP Morgan Chase on Tuesday cut its rating on Thai shares to "neutral" from "overweight", due to a lack of "near-term catalysts" of the court's suspension of some industrial projects in Map Ta Phut and political issues. However, Asian stocks outside of Japan may extend a bull market into 2010 thanks to declining risk premiums, a recovery in economic and earnings growth, and low interest rates. The house cut Land & Houses from its recommended portfolio of shares and replaced Bangkok Bank with Siam Commercial Bank.
Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij is undeterred by the bad news, noting that brokerage houses have varying opinions. He said that some houses had opinion different from JP Morgan. He insisted the government would fix the Map Ta Phut problem as soon as possible.
By THE NATION
Published on December 17, 2009