Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the government tried to cap the diesel price at 30 baht a liter and the price control cost the state 6 billion baht a month.
He said that the government understood the hardship of truck and transport associations and was trying its best to help them, but global oil prices were rising.
“We will try to keep it at 30 baht per liter and this costs over 6 billion baht per month from the State Oil Fund. It has already been in the red. We must see what we can do in the next two months,” the prime minister said.
He said that locally produced oil met less than 20% of consumption in the country and a part of the local product was of poor quality and could not be fully used. The country had to depend on imported oil which met about 80% of local consumption, the prime minister said.
Gen Prayut said he would review excise tax on oil to see what the government could do to handle local oil prices. (TNA)
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