BANGKOK, March 15 (TNA) – The Transport Ministry laid down an order for Airports of Thailand PCL (AOT) to shelve its plans to select concessionaires for duty-free shops and commercial areas at major airports and demanded it study if the projects will result in business monopoly and must comply with the public-private partnership law.
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said he called the management of AOT for a meeting and laid down the order for AOT to answer questions on possible monopoly and compliance with the newly amended public-private business partnership law concerning the plans.
The AOT management would have to consult with the retail sector to find out if it should award many contracts for the operation of duty-free shops at major airports instead of a single contract which raised the concern of business monopoly. Besides, AOT would have to ask the Finance Ministry if the projects were subject to requirements under the public-private partnership law, Mr Arkhom said.
AOT would find answers before resuming the project implementation and its timeframe to select a new contractor for airport duty-free shop services within September would be intact, he said.
Although AOT was listed as a public company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, it still had the status of a state enterprise under the Transport Ministry and would have to follow orders, the minister said.
AOT posted its invitations for bids for airport duty-free shop and commercial space concessions on March 12. AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn was unavailable for comments on the issue. (TNA)
