Retailers fail to speed up legislation
The Cabinet yesterday failed to consider the proposed Retail Business Act, despite pressure from the Federation of Thais Opposing Foreign Retailers, which rallied in front of Government House to demand that authorities speed up implementation of the law to protect traditional retailers.
Commerce Minister Krirk-krai Jirapaet said Cabinet had yet to consider the draft of the new Retail and Wholesale Business Act, submitted by his ministry. The draft has already been considered by the Cabinet's screening committee, but the secretariat has failed to pass it on for Cabinet consideration. About 500 members of the Federation of Thais Opposing Foreign Retailers rallied in front of Government House to demand that Cabinet speed up its consideration and passage of the proposed act. "Although the draft has already passed the consideration of the Cabinet's screening committee, we all know that the Cabinet's secretary-general has yet to submit it to Cabinet for approval. All small and traditional retailers will be hurt [by this], as foreign retailers are expanding new stores continuously," said federation president Panthep Suleesathee. He said the federation agreed with the Commerce Ministry's new draft of the act, which aims to control the entire system of retailing and wholesaling. It will continue to pressure the government if it fails to approve the long-awaited legislation.
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