Thailand Aims To Boost Private Sector Role In Stimulus Program

To facilitate such Public-Private Partnership, or PPP, projects, the ministry's Public Debt Management Office and the Department of Comptroller General are drafting a new Act to set a comprehensive institutional and regulatory framework, a methodology for project evaluation, and clear guidelines for the procurement process--all currently lacking, the head of the Comptroller General's Department, Pongpanu Svetarundra, told a forum on PPP.

As the new law could take years to pass, the ministry is drafting guidelines on such partnerships based on existing legislations, including the procedures that participating private investors must follow, he said.

"The guidelines are expected to be activated very soon," Pongpanu said, without providing a specific time frame.

Mass transit and road projects are among the first that will be launched under the new guidelines, he said.