Thailand to become "green society"

BANGKOK, September 7 (TNA) - The Thai government plans financial measures to promote the "green society". Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Thursday opened the annual meeting of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), themed the future of Thailand on a green road. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong said at the meeting that the Thai government is working out financial measures to further promote environmental conservation in the country, including taxation, fees on waste disposal and business operators’ guarantees for possible environmental impacts of their production processes. Besides, Kittirat acknowledged, his ministry's Excise Department will turn to base its vehicular tax on carbon dioxide emissions, instead of engine capacities of vehicles, after local automobile manufacturers have already developed auto engines which cut carbon dioxide emissions by 100 grams per kilometer, compared with conventional engines of same capacities, over the next 3-4 years. The deputy premier acknowledged that the Thai government is also studying incentives for electric motorcycles and is finding out whether such motorcycles should be recharged with solar power, and that the government also plans to promote researches on energy saving and environmental conservation by allowing tax payers to deduct from their taxable incomes two times the amounts they spend on such researches. Meanwhile, NESDB Secretary-General Arkom Termpitayapaisit, maintained that the Thai government's implementation of the 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan over the next five years will focus on promoting the sustainable and environmentally-friendly economic development in the country to ensure efficient use of resources and to prevent wastes and greenhouse gases from affecting the environment, aimed at encouraging local consumers to use environmentally- friendly products and services. (TNA)