Thailand's All Ministries Ordered To Cope With Soaring Costs Of Living

BANGKOK, April 26 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered all ministries to help people, especially low-income earners, to cope with rising costs of living. Yingluck acknowledged Thursday complaints on the soaring costs of living, especially a fee imposed on power consumption, known as fuel tariff (FT), which will rise by 0.30 baht per unit from May 2012. Yingluck insisted that her government will announce relief measures for local consumers when concerned agencies complete working them out. The Pheu Thai premier revealed that she has also instructed the Energy Ministry to work out assistance measures in response to rising bus fares, pointing out, however, that the bus fare hike has mainly resulted from soaring oil prices, an external and uncontrollable factor. In response to the main opposition Democrat Party’s proposal that PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), Thailand's largest petroleum firm, spend part of its profit to subsidize fuel costs, the prime minister said that the state oil fund has existed for the purpose and she has ordered the Energy Ministry and the National Energy Policy Committee to first study the issue thoroughly. (TNA)