Private concessions – but not responding to live threads asking about measures to prevent encroachment on national parks.

Senate meeting today (March 4). Before the meeting, Mr. Supachai Somcharoen, the second Vice President of the Senate, who acted as chairman of the meeting. The cause of death was reported. of Admiral Saksit Cherdboonmuang, member of the Senate on Wednesday, February 28, and Mr. Montien Buntan, senator, on March 2, 2024, along with asking senators to join together in mourning the passing of the two senators.

In this regard, the Senate meeting has an agenda to consider questions. Members asked the government many questions, such as following up on the implementation of the announcement of the Agricultural Land Reform Committee to list other activities that support or are related to agricultural land reform, and restructuring the administration of the Department of Learning Promotion. According to the Learning Promotion Act 2023, regarding the allocation of mangrove forest areas to the pri
vate sector to plant mangrove forests to benefit from carbon credits. and the impact of the policy to reduce taxes on alcoholic beverages Including considering urgent matters Select Senate experts in the Parliamentary Civil Service Commission. To fill the vacant position (according to Section 16, paragraph one of the Parliamentary Civil Service Act B.E. 2011)

The meeting also had an agenda to consider 3 matters that the Commission had completed, namely the study report on the development of Thailand’s international maritime transport logistics potential, on guidelines for driving forward the policy of strengthening economic security. Area: Subdistrict plan, stable, prosperous, and sustainable, made concrete and the matter of cement core weirs and poverty alleviation. When entering the Senate agenda, Mr. Supachai informed the meeting that today (March 4) there were 4 written questions, but it appeared that there were ministers who came to answer 2 questions, namely Police General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Responding to questions asked by Dr. Amphon Jindawatana, a member of the Senate. to the project to plant mangrove forests to benefit from carbon credits

Pol. Gen. Patcharawat explained that the origin of the mangrove planting project to benefit from carbon credits This is because Thailand has announced greenhouse gas reduction targets at the COP26 meeting and the Cabinet has resolved that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Create a project to plant mangrove forests. to benefit from carbon credits With the criteria that Mangrove forest area Must belong to the state and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Own the project Control, supervise, and monitor and evaluate projects. It is not the granting of a concession. With the main objective to restore degraded forest areas Increase mangrove forest area and increase carbon dioxide storage Increase the diversity of marine and coastal ecosystems

‘Let all sectors, both governm
ent and private sector, help in storing carbon dioxide from mangrove forests. which the project implementation There is an announcement inviting those interested to join the project through the website of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. with project participants Both private and private companies, various foundations, a total of 14 people, and project participants are sponsoring all expenses throughout the duration of the project. and will receive compensation only in proportion to sharing carbon credits Only according to regulations,’ Pol. Gen. Patcharawat said.

Pol. Gen. Patcharawat said that the mangrove planting project to benefit from carbon credits It is not allowing the private sector to come in and carry out the project in the form of a forest concession. But it is permission to join the project with the Department of Marine Resources. and the coast only, which the community can still use. To catch aquatic animals, find wild products, and do ecotourism. Public benefit activities can b
e carried out as usual. It must not affect the environment and ecosystem.

Then, Mr. Kritsada Chinawicharana, Deputy Minister of Finance Clarifying the thread asking about the impact of the policy of reducing taxes on certain types of alcoholic beverages, saying that reducing taxes on local liquor groups It is a policy to promote local liquor to the international level and promote community economy This measure has promoted Thailand’s local wisdom culture, with the Ministry of Finance improving tax rates. This is a product that has been with Thailand for a long time, passed down from generation to generation. It also promotes liquor production to be more standardized after it has been controlled and analyzed by the Excise Department. In order not to find any contaminated objects or contaminants. and to raise the level of local liquors that are popular in foreign markets. In addition to improving the economy, it will also solve the problem of illegal liquor importation. Including liquor that is outside the sys
tem, it will come into the system to take care of quality and collect taxes to the fullest extent. This is from the compilation of statistics from the Excise Department in collecting taxes on local spirits, such as wort, which collects 20 million baht in taxes per year, which is a very small proportion compared to the collection of all alcohol. The amount that can be stored is approximately 150 billion baht per year. This will be a small proportion, so we want to bring it into the system and control the issue of quality.

As for improving the tax structure, Mr. Kritsada said that it is based on the principles of health care, fairness, and equality for preventing and suppressing liquor products to enter the tax system. and has been inspected to ensure that the liquor meets standards It will reduce the incentive to smuggle illegal goods. causing things to be entered into the system with the wrong quality No impurities The Ministry of Finance through the Excise Department focuses on Crack down on illegal things,
whether through online channels. These products are also available in the system.

‘It is estimated that this revenue collection from such measures will allow us to collect more revenue from alcohol by 900 million baht, for which we have a system to recommend retail prices. As a result, the current price of each bottle of product will increase even though the tax collection rate has been reduced from 10% to 5% and the Excise Department has a current price base. This causes retail prices to be higher than before and from such measures, revenue collection increases. There is money going into various support funds, such as Thai Health Promotion Foundation, sports funds. Thai PBS Elderly Fund,’ Mr. Kritsada said.

Reporters reported that at the meeting Mr. Ronnarit Prayachattrakul senator I’d like to post a live question about Measures to prevent and solve problems of encroachment on national park areas and forestry to Police General Patcharawat But the chairman of the meeting informed that Because the minister h
as an important mission Unable to answer the live question thread today (March 4), therefore the said live question thread must be abandoned.

Source: Thai News Agency