Bangkok: Chunlapan-Piraphan” explains the budget to reduce gas and electricity costs. Within a manageable framework People benefit Meanwhile, the opposition fears that the lack of liquidity at state enterprises such as EGAT will affect stability.
Reporters reported that Measures to reduce the cost of living of the people that the government has taken to reduce the cost of electricity and gas by using the mechanisms of state enterprises. including the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, PTT Public Company Limited, the Fuel Fund. and excise taxes to be taken care of, with the opposition seeing it as a potential problem for the government budget and liquidity problems of state enterprises which may affect energy security
Mr. Chulaphan Amornvivat, Deputy Finance Minister, stated that the implementation of the diesel tax measure in two rounds from 20 September 2023 to 31 January 2024, combined, the state will lose revenue from diesel excise tax collection of 17,700 million baht, not 60,000 million baht
, but in any way according to the opposition debate It is within the budget management framework that the government can manage. It did not cause the revenue collection to miss the target in any way. The people benefit from the reduction of taxes.
As for reducing electricity costs The last installment of 2023 that allowed PTT to extend the time for repaying gas debts to EGAT, Mr. Peeraphan Saleerathaviphak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, did not mention this issue, stating only that ‘Information True, EGAT has completely repaid its original debt with PTT since January 2023. For the entire year 2023, EGAT did not owe anything to PTT, with debt repayment to PTT. T. Always on schedule.
As for the liquidity issue of EGAT, the government has extended its debt. The people owed the cost of electricity to EGAT without paying the debt for 2 installments or 8 months (September 2023 – April 2024). The Energy Minister explained that he had looked at the financial situation. EGAT can bear the burden. and
the government sector has managed By restructuring Pool Gas and allowing the Energy Regulatory Commission to collect shortfall fees to reduce the burden.
Meanwhile, EGAT’s income and profits increased from the original forecast. Another approximately 15,000 million baht, making at the end of 2023 there is an actual cash balance of approximately 91,000 million baht, not 63,623 million baht. Therefore, it is impossible that in January 2024 the cash flow of EGAT will have less than 40 billion left according to “forecast information” expected until this year. EGAT’s liquidity will continue to decrease until it reaches negative levels in July, October, and December by EGAT’s financial standards. P. must maintain its cash position not lower than 60,000 million baht. If at any time it is likely to fall below this standard, EGAT will immediately take steps to correct the situation.
Source: Thai News Agency