Bestlin Group says all the buses it is supplying to Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) are procured through legal channels and has abided by Thai laws.
Its assurance came after the Customs Department put on hold the release of part of the bus fleet from Laem Chabang sea port after suspicion arisen over its paid import duties.
At yesterday’s press conference, the group’s chairman Kanit Sriwachiraprapha insisted that all the 489 NGV buses it imported from Malaysia to BMTA was legally processed and the company has abided by all the laws.
He said all purchase documents it handed over to the Customs Departmen were authentic and were not forged.
Bestlin Group could not have forged the documents as they were issued to his company by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia.
He affirmed that the Bestlin Group had always abided by the law and had never taken a short cut, the NNT reported.
He further stated that he will cooperate with the Customs Department to clear up all allegations.
Earlier custom officials suspected that the NGV buses it imported might not be assembled in Malaysia but in China.
If assembled in Malaysia, the company will enjoy a tax privilege of 40% exemption of import duty under the Asean free trade agreement.