The cabinet met on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. Some of the decisions are as follows:
Title: Draft Act on additional amendment of revenue code (No. …) B.E. ... (Amendment of personal income tax structure to promote fairness and to conform to current economic situation)
The Cabinet approved a Draft Act on additional amendment of revenue code (No. ...) B.E. ... (Amendment of personal income tax structure to promote fairness and to conform to current economic situation), following the suggestion from Ministry of Finance, and assigned the collaborative council of the House of Representatives to review the draft before proposing it to the House of Representatives.
Gist of the draft Act
1. Amend personal income tax rate of group 3 in title 2 of the Revenue Code in accordance with the Royal Decree on additional amendment of revenue code (No.16) B.E. 2534 as follows:
1.1 Personal Income Tax
Income (Baht) Former New
0-300,000 0-100,000 use 5 % rate 5100,000-300,000 use 10 % rate
300,00001-500,000 10 10
500,00001-750,000 20 15
750,00001-1,000,000 20 20
1,000,00001-2,000,000 30 25
2,000,00001-4,000,000 30 30
4,000,001 onwards 37 35
1.2 Ordinary partnerships are to pay 20% net income tax
1.3 Bodies of persons that are not juristic persons are to pay assessable income tax at the 20 % rate.
2. Amendment of income tax in the aforementioned 1.1 is to be effective for assessable income tax of B.E. 2556 which must be submitted in B.E. 2557.
The Cabinet approved in principle the Draft Ministerial Announcement of Ministry of Commerce on Corn Importation for Use of Animal Feed Material Under the ASEAN FTA Agreement for B.E. 2556 (No. 2), B.E. 2556, proposed by Ministry of Commerce, which extends the period of corn importation to be used for animal feed materials originally from March 1, 2013 to July 31, 2013, to August 31, 2013. This is the implementation based on the Cabinet’s resolution on June 4, 2013.
Gist of the draft ministerial announcement
Amend the text in (2) of title 4 in Ministry of Commerce’s announcement regarding corn importation, to be used for animal feed materials, under ASEAN FTA Agreement B.E. 2556, designating general importers to import corns during March 1 to August 31, 2013, and to follow import regulation standards stated in Animal Food Quality Control Act B.E. 2525.
The Cabinet acknowledged guidance on the restriction of illegal lenders, suggested by Ministry of Interior.
Ministry of Interior has received a number of complaints via various forms of media about troubles and unfair treatment caused by illegal lenders who mostly collect their debts by means of violence and threats on lives and assets which is illegal and troublesome. Thus, Ministry of Interior has made an effort to solve this problem. Detail is as follows:
1. Direct provincial administrations to assign districts, though District Justice Enhancement Centers, as the responsible office for the following tasks:
1.1 Intelligence: Investigate and seek information on possible illegal lenders and those who collect debts by means of violence and threats.
1.2 Prevention: Publicize and create awareness. Call for community cooperation in informing and providing evidences of wrong-doings. Instill appropriate value and attitude on the respect of laws.
1.3 Suppression: Investigate on the illegal loan network, and strictly exercise legal authority. Establish channels to receive complaints from the people or those affected from illegal debts.
2. The provinces are to further proceed on the following matters:
2.1 Designate the districts to compile list of persons who collect debts by means of violence and threats, and lenders who provide loans with illegally high interests. The aforementioned list shall be reported in confidentiality to Ministry of Interior within May 31, 2556.
2.2 Publicity billboard is to be arranged in each district (one board per district) to inform community members of the ways to make complaints.
2.3 An operator must be stationed to receive and record complains.
2.4 Report on the aforementioned operation must be regularly made.
3. Ministry of Interior appointed a taskforce to the Deputy Minister of Interior to follow up, investigate and process implementation results of the Department of Provincial Administration.
The Cabinet approved and agreed with the suggestions made by Ministry of Public Health.
1. Approved for the International Health Regulations B.E. 2548 (IHR 2005) for the period of 2008-2012 to be extended to 2016.
2. Agreed with Ministry of Public Health to collaborate with concerned government agencies to arrange for the annual plans for core competency development activities to be in accordance with IHR 2005. Progress is to be occasionally assessed as appropriate.
Gist
Ministry of Public Health reported that,
1. The International Health Regulations B.E. 2548 (2005) or IHR (2005) is considered an international treaty endorsed by members of World Health Organization (WHO) in the 58th World Health Assembly on May 23, 2005, and is effective since June 15, 2007, with an aim to prevent, protect, control, and tackle with public health emergency of international concern by avoiding unnecessary disturbance to international traffic and trading activities.
2. According to IHR (2005), all nations must develop complete core competencies within the period of 5 years, starting from the IHR effective date. However, 11 countries in the region, including Thailand, had requested for 2 year extension from the original deadline of June 15, 2012, in order to fully complete their core competencies under section 5 of the Regulations. Although Thailand has reached the aforementioned goal to a certain extent, there are still more missions to achieve which is not only to complete core competencies but also to further upgrade the quality as part of its preparation for the realization of ASEAN Community in 2015.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) July 30, 2013--