The private sector has urged the government to postpone a fuel tariff increase until September to help ease financial burdens on businesses hit by rising fuel prices.
Sangchai Theerakulwanich, president of the Federation of Thai SMEs, said the authorities should find a way to set a cap for the fuel tariff to reduce financial burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He said business owners cannot afford to pay higher electricity costs while having to cover increased material and labor expenses.
The statement was made following a statement from the Energy Regulatory Commission citing the possibility of higher electricity bills. The increase in the fuel tariff, which is part of the electricity tariff used to calculate electricity bills, could push the electricity tariff to a record high of 4.4 baht per kilowatt hour between September and December of This year.
The president of the Federation urged the government to deal with the rising prices of raw materials, in particular fertilizers and wheat. He advised the authorities to negotiate with companies that import these materials or find new markets to bring down the prices of the materials, as it is a better solution than controlling production expenses. He also stressed the importance of serious restructuring of national energy management to effectively manage costs and promote the use of more renewable energy in the long term. (NNT)
