Bestrin Group, the successful bidder to supply a fleet of 489 NGV buses to Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, has admitted that the first lot of 100 buses which are held up at Laem Chabang deep-sea port were imported from China and not assembled in Malaysia as earlier claimed by the company, said Customs Department chief Kulit Sombatsiri on Tuesday.
As such, he said that Bestrin Group must be charged 40 percent import tax for the 100 NGV buses, amounting to 2.95 million baht for each bus. On top of that, he added that the company would be fined twice the amount of tax.
Unless the tax and fines are paid, the first 100 buses will be held up at the port, said the minister.
For the remaining 389 buses, Bestrin Group has not yet applied for taxation and, therefore, the group has not been faulted with tax evasion because it has not yet applied for taxation.
Altogether, Mr Kulit said that Bestrin Group would have to pay the Customs Department 718 million baht in taxes for the entire bus fleet.
Deputy Transport Minister Omsin Chivapruek, meanwhile, said that the case would be settled if Bestrin Group paid up 718 million baht for the import of the 489 buses plus 230 million baht in fines for the first 100 buses imported.
