• 
• 

Published on October 12, 2007

"The fund belongs to SSO beneficiaries," committee head Wilaiwan sae Tia said.

"The SSO board can't spend the money on compensation," she insisted.

The fund receives contributions from employees, employers and the government to provide welfare benefits to members.

Due to a legal hitch, the Bt2.8-billion contract to compile a membership database was cancelled earlier this year after SOA Consortium said it had almost completed work on the project. The firm threatened to sue the SSO for Bt1 billion in damages.

Wilaiwan said if anyone were to be held responsible for the project, it should be the SSO board, which approved it.

She said her group had asked the SSO not to implement the project in 2005, but the board simply did not listen.

"We feel the cost is too high," she added.

On Wednesday, SOA Consortium chief Prayoon Larpphatthanakul blamed the SSO for the dispute.

SSO deputy secretary-general Sittipol Rattanakorn said his office now planned to scale down the project and renegotiate with SOA.

The Nation