Talks on Thailand's NGV price hike

BANGKOK, January 7 (TNA) - Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan held talks on Saturday with private operators representing the Land Transport Federation of Thailand and taxi Cooperatives on ways to defer the government's measure on a new price hike of natural gas for vehicle (NGV) on the domestic market this year, as drivers of NGV-powered buses, trucks and taxis plan to hold a mass rally in front of his ministry on January 9. Pichai told the representatives from the two camps during the meeting that if the NGV price was maintained at the current 8.50 baht per kilogramme, its consumption would rise sharply, forcing consumers to eventually pay subsidy to the government-sponsored Oil Fund. Pichai urged the private operators to refrain from holding the mass rally, as it would cause hardships to the public and asked them to, instead, wait for a government reply. The Thai government, through the Ministry of Energy, plans to raise the retail NGV price consumed by trucks, public buses and taxis by 50 satang (Bt0.50) per kilogramme monthly in 2012, totally raising the NGV price by 6 baht per kilogramme at the end of this year; while the liquefied petroleum gas or LPG price for the local transportation sector will also be increased by 41 satang (Bt0.40) per litre monthly. The LPG price in the local household sector will be kept unchanged. Yoo Jienyuenpong, Chairman of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand, said after the meeting that he would inform outcome of the meeting to truck, bus and taxi drivers, insisting, however, that the private operators will go ahead with the planned mass rally next Monday. Drivers of about 100 trucks, public buses and 300 taxis threatened to close the road in front of the Energy Ministry headquarters in Bangkok on January 9 if their request to maintain the NGV price was turned down by the government. (TNA)