Suthep blasts NESDB over failure to show the way

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday slammed the National Economics and Social Development Board for failure to come up with a clear cut result in its study whether the Cabinet should buy or lease 4,000 NGV-buses, the scheme that has threatened to tear apart the Democrat and Bhum Jai Thai alliance.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had asked the NESDB to review its study within 30 days, saying it would be the last study before the government made a decision.

The NESDB submitted to the Cabinet the results of its 30-day study yesterday, presenting five solutions, but without any conclusion about whether the buses should be purchased or leased.

The Cabinet last month instructed the NESDB to study which procedure would be more worthwhile. A Transport Ministry proposal to lease them at around Bt64 billion came under heavy criticism that the price was too high.

During the Cabinet meeting, a source said Transport Minister Sophon Saram criticised the NESDB but insisted his ministry's decision to lease was the best way.

Suthep, however, loudly criticised the agency saying the government wanted a clear cut suggestion.

"It has to point out whether to buy or to lease or to have a subsidiary operate the scheme. The government wants to put the controversy to rest,'' the source quoted Suthep as saying.

The NESDB secretary-general told Cabinet the terms of some NESDB board members, who presented the study would end on July 3; that was why it had to submit the study result yesterday.

Abhisit asked whether the current board could review the study. The secretary-general said it could not since the term of one-third of the board would end soon.

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul, who is also the Bhum Jai Thai Party leader, said his party was not upset about the Cabinet not backing the bus-leasing scheme, because other proposals had been well-supported.

Sophon warned Abhisit not to let political sentiment influence his decision on the bus-leasing proposal, saying he should base it on the fact the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority had run a loss operation and the bus-leasing scheme would help improve the standard of living of city residents. He insisted city commuters wanted the bus-leasing scheme to materialise.

"I do not believe politics are involved in the scheme - but the problem is politicians fear their popularity would plunge [if they made the decision against public sentiment],'' he said.

The BMTA union gathered at Government House yesterday calling on the Cabinet to ensure BMTA staff would not lose their jobs through electronic ticketing.

The union said it supported the Cabinet regardless of whether it decided on buying or leasing buses, but it must not approve the proposed electronic ticketing system because 9,000 BMTA staffers would be out of work.