COMMUNICATIONS

Concession ruling delayed

KOMSAN TORTERMVASANA

The Council of State may need another month to rule on mobile phone telecommunication contracts, Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiya-udom said yesterday. The ministry had expected the government's legal advisory body to make a ruling this week, but the council said it needed more time as the ministry had asked many questions about each telecom concession under review, he said.

The minister believes the contract extensions between private operators and state telecom enterprises were invalid since they bypassed cabinet scrutiny required by the public-private joint venture law.

All of the contracts deal with the mobile phone business, he said. No fixed-line contracts breached the private-public joint venture law, the minister added.

Dr Sitthichai said that as far as he knew, the council was looking at each contract on an individual basis and would then make a single ruling to prevent creating confusion in the industry.

He said the ministry would meet soon with all creditors of mobile phone operators to explain the situation and assure them of the government's confidence in the industry, even though the ruling may invalidate the contracts.

An industry source said that if all past extensions were invalidated, Advanced Info Service's concession would have only one year left. DTAC's would expire immediately, and True Move's contract may never have existed in the first place.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Saturday April 21, 2007