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Published on September 2, 2007

Jaruvan spoke in reference to many controversial contracts, including the purchase of CTX bomb-detection equipment for Suvarnabhumi Airport, signed in English by the ousted government.

"I think every government contract should be written in Thai with a second copy in English or other languages," she said.

Past contracts, except those concluded under the Thaksin Shinawatra government, were done in Thai, she said.

The Cabinet should remind relevant authorities about the principle language in order to prevent any attempts to evade the scrutiny of contractual provisions, she said.

She said she had once raised the issue with General Pongthep Thespratheep, secretary-general to the Prime Minister's Office, but had not got any response.

In another development, the Office of the Auditor-General has sent a memorandum to the Transport Ministry to revise the rule for evaluation of property-tax liability.

The issue came up after a financial audit of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which is under the supervision of the ministry.

Based on the audit, the SRT has leased a plot on Kamphaengphet 2 Road for five years commencing in 2005. It evaluated the property tax as Bt5.97 million and collected the payment from the developer in advance.

It then found out that the actual liability was Bt65.7 million and that it was obliged to shoulder the difference because of its undervaluation.