The Cabinet met on Monday, December 12, 2017, at Command Building I, Government House. Some of the resolutions are as follows:
The cabinet approved in principle draft Ministerial Regulation on Waive of Toll Fees for Vehicles on Highway 7 and Highway 9, B.E…, as proposed by Ministry of Transport. Toll fees will be waived during New Year Holiday from 0001hrs of December 28, 2017 to 2400hrs of January 4, 2018.
Ministry of Transport has proposed that 2018 New Year Festival is a long holiday, and a huge crowd is expected to return to their hometown, resulting in heavy traffic in and out of Bangkok and vicinity. Exemption of toll fees on Highway 7 (Motorway), and Highway 9 (Ring Road) during New Year Holidays will alleviate traffic congestion and reduce energy use.
The Cabinet approved in principle Draft Royal Decree on on identification of Optometry as a Healing Arts Practice, B.E…, as proposed by Ministry of Public Health, and ordered for the draft decree to be forwarded to Office of the Council of State for consideration as an urgent matter, and proceed accordingly.
1. Definition of optometry
2. Body of Optometric Committee
3. Qualifications and prohibitions of elected Optometric Committee
4. Terms and termination of the Optometric Committee
5. Authority and duty of Optometric Committee in accordance with the Healing Arts Practices Act, B.E. 2542
6. Qualifications of optometric practitioners for registration and licensing
7. Criteria, regulations, and conditions for certified optometric practitioners
The Cabinet approved in principle Draft Ministerial Regulation on extension of fee reduction for partnerships and company limited in special development zone, B.E…, as proposed by Ministry of Commerce, and ordered for it to be forwarded to Office of the Council of State for consideration as an urgent matter and proceed accordingly.
1. Ministerial Regulation on fee reduction for partnerships and company limited in special development zone, B.E.2555 in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla (Chana, Thepha, Na Thawi and Saba Yoi districts) will expire on December 31, 2017.
2. In order to alleviate financial burden of people and entrepreneurs in the Special Development Zone, and to support local economy, as well as to maintain peace and stability in the southern border areas, fee reduction for registration, document verification, and others related services provided to partnerships and company limited in the area should be extended for another three years from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020.
The Cabinet approved policy and measure on import of feed ingredients (soybean meal, fish meal and field corn) for 2018-2020, as agreed earlier in the 1/2017 meeting of the Board of Food Policy on October 18, 2017.
The Board of Food Policy agreed with the policy and measure on import of feed ingredients (soybean meal, fish meal and field corn) which is extended from the previous one for another 3 years with the revisions, such as adding more eligible importers from 9 to 11 (new eligible importers are Thai Fresh Fruit Traders, and Thai Agricultural Products and Processing Association), and setting in-quota tariff of 0% and out-quota tariff of 73% for Thailand-Chile Free Trade Area Agreement (TCFTA).
The Cabinet approved proposals made by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as follows:
1. Agreed with Yangon Declaration, the outcome document of the 3rd Asia-Pacific Water Summit
2. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment or his representative is authorized as signatory.
3. Should there be any amendment, if not effecting the gist of the document or against the benefits of Thailand, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is authorized to proceed without the Cabinet’s approval.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reported that the 3rd Asia-Pacific Water Summit will be held during December 11-12, 2017 in Yangon, Myanmar under the theme “Water Security for Sustainable Development”, and Yangon Declaration is to be endorsed on December 12, 2017. The draft declaration focuses on promoting innovation and practices to support water stability in Asia-Pacific, such as promoting best practices for water cycle management, good governance for sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as minimizing financial gap between dynamic growth and implementation of sustainable measures on water. The draft declaration also promotes cooperation at all levels.
--Cabinet Meeting (Prayut Chan-o-cha) December 12, 2017--