Bangkok: Mr. Karom Polpornklang, Deputy Government Spokesperson, revealed that the Cabinet has approved the draft ministerial regulation on the fees of the Central Knowledge and Competency Assessment Center to promote and reduce the burden on the public who undergo knowledge and competency assessment within the specified period, B.E. ..., as proposed by the Ministry of Labor (MOL), which the Office of the Council of State has already considered. The Ministry of Labor is to amend the effective date of the draft ministerial regulation to be effective from the date of its publication in the Government Gazette onwards until December 31, B.E. 2568, and to remove Section 2 of the draft because there is no case in which the excess fee must be refunded and further action can be taken. The Ministry of Labor is also to consider the opinions of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission for further action.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Karam said that the Labor Skill Development Promotion Act B.E. 2545, which was amended by the Labor Skill Development Promotion Act (No. 2) B.E. 2557, Section 7 (2) in conjunction with Section 26/3, stipulates that workers in occupations, positions, or types of work that may be dangerous to the public or require knowledge and skills must obtain a certificate of knowledge and skills from the Central Knowledge and Skill Assessment Center (Department of Skill Development). Currently, the Minister of Labor has announced that the electrician, electronics, and computer occupation, specifically the indoor electrician occupation, is an occupation that may be dangerous to the public, which must be carried out by a person who has received a certificate of knowledge and skills under the law on the promotion of labor skills development. If workers in such occupations do not have a certificate of knowledge and skills, they are subject to a fine not exceeding 5,000 baht.
'Currently, there are approximately 50,000 workers who have undergone a knowledge and ability assessment but whose certificates have expired, and approximately 18,500 workers who have never undergone a knowledge and ability assessment. Therefore, there are approximately 68,500 workers who do not have a knowledge and ability certificate, which could result in such workers being subject to a fine according to the law,' said Mr. Karam.
Mr. Karam also said that since the Ministerial Regulation on the Fees of the Central Knowledge Assessment Center and the State-owned Knowledge Assessment Center B.E. 2559 has set the assessment fee for issuing a certificate of knowledge and ability at a rate of 1,000 baht per time, in order to encourage those in occupations, positions, or types of work that may be dangerous to the public to undergo assessments in order to obtain more certificates of knowledge and ability in their occupations, which will result in a safer society, the Ministerial Regulation on the Fees of the Central Knowledge Assessment Center B.E. ... has been drafted, which contains the following important points: 1. Reduce the assessment fee for issuing a certificate of knowledge and ability by 100 baht per time (originally 1,000 baht per time). 2. Set to be effective from March 1, 2568 to December 31, 2568. The said fee rate applies to the Central Knowledge Assessment Center (Department of Skill Development) only.