SMALL entrepreneurs are rejoicing after the Senate late last night (March 10) passed the draft Excise Tax Act, or the Community Liquor Bill, as this will end the monopoly and open the door for them to get a business licence to produce and trade all kinds of alcoholic beverages, Naewna newspaper said.
With 177 senators present, 156 voted for the legislation, 11 against and 10 abstained in the second reading and in the third reading that immediately followed 166 voted for the bill, three against and eight abstained.
However after the voting ended, Pol.Lt. Gen. Boonchan Nuansa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Law and Justice, expressed an additional opinion, saying that from his visit to Nan province where he talked to local liquor producers, he found out that while they wanted this bill to be passed and enforced they feared that the bottles would have to be imported which would increase production cost.
“Big owners have locked up everything and won’t produce anything (for small entrepreneurs) so where do they get it from? Ordering from abroad, but is this expensive? It’s expensive!” he said.
He then asked relevant agencies to consider this issue because many people have not focused on it. If imported bottles are expensive could workers within the country be hired to produce them with this also helping the local economy.
Meanwhile, the Craft Beer Association Facebook page posted a message saying small entrepreneurs, including farmer groups, can now produce all types of liquor and beer. Previously, they were restricted, such as being unable to produce liquor, among them gin, rum, brandy and whiskey, including being unable to bottle beer or having a minimum production requirement of 30,000 liters per day. But from now on, “all can be done.”
The next step is for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to submit the bill to His Majesty the King for royal endorsement, after which it would be announced in the Royal Gazette and take effect.
Alcohol production in Thailand has been characterised as a monopoly with Thai Beverage Pcl and Boon Rawd Brewery Co. having dominated the industry and small-scale entrepreneurs facing high entry barriers including difficulties to obtain export licences, high minimum production capacities and environmental certifications.
Photo by Chuttersnap on Unsplash
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