OAG to probe NTC's spending abroad

The Nation (22 November 2007)

The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) is reinvestigating expenditures on foreign study tours by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in its 2006 budget following complaints about the high amount, a source at the national telecom regulator said.

The source said the OAG renewed its investigation recently after having already completed its routine scrutiny of the NTC's 2006 budget. "The OAG has asked for more information on the overseas study tour expenses of the commissioners and their staff," the source said.

Asked about the matter, NTC secretary-general Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn said the OAG's examination of the NTC's expenditure was nothing unusual. The telecom licensing body set aside a budget for overseas study tours and training of Bt70 million each for last year and this year.

Meanwhile, chairman Choochart Phromprasid said the NTC had earlier expected to receive total regulatory revenue of Bt3 billion this year, but its two major licensees - TOT and CAT Telecom - have yet to pay overdue fees of around Bt1 billion.

Excluding this amount, the telecom regulator expects to have Bt800 million of unspent revenue this year.

Choochart said part of this amount would be put into regulatory funds and part of it to finance the administration of its key institutions, including the Telecommunications Research and Industrial Institute and the Telecom Consumer Protection Institute (TCPI).

The TCPI yesterday appointed Prawit Leesataponwongsa as its first chairman. Prawit was on the social committee of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council.