Thailand: FTI asks delay on electronic waste bill, fearing exodus

• Feb 22, 2019

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) will call for the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to delay a decision on an electronic waste disposal bill by a further 45 days, arguing that the new bill will cause factories to relocate from Thailand and jeopardise 753,357 jobs in the industry. 
The Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment bill, similar to an existing law in Europe, would put more stringent regulations on how factories producing electronics dispose of waste materials. 
The bill would require manufacturers to collect and dispose of electronic waste from products they sell, and is set to be brought before the cabinet and then lawmakers for final approval. 
The FTI wants the NLA to extend the regular enforcement of the draft act by more than two years from one year, saying local producers do not have enough time to prepare for the regulation, says Kanit Muangkrachang, chairwoman of the electrical, electronics, telecommunications and allied industries club at the federation. 
The trade organisation wants the government to revise details of the draft, improve it to meet international standards and ensure it won’t be too great of a burden on the private sector. 
“The local producers, Thai and foreign, were concerned about the penal provision that the government treats infractions like a criminal penalty where the executive, chief executive and the owner may be sentenced to a six-month jail term and pay a fine of 50,000 baht under Section 16,” Mrs Kanit said. 
Consumption of electronics like TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, PCs and mobile phones has increased rapidly in Thailand in line with economic growth and technology development. 
Thailand’s electrical and electronics industry is worth 1.2 trillion baht, propped up by 2,419 companies, all members of the FTI. 
According to a survey by the Pollution Control Department, electrical and electronic equipment waste in the past three years amounted to 400,000 tonnes a year. The government has yet to conduct a study on the volume of waste that will be produced per year after the bill is enacted. 
“The government wants the private sector to bear all the responsibility, but it’s not fair because we don’t know about the source of the 400,000 tonnes of waste,” Mrs Kanit said. “Most electronics and electrical devices are of high enough quality to be recycled under the circular economy scheme.” 
Suwanna Tiersuwan, deputy chief of the department, said the NLA’s whip agreed Thursday to accept the bill for a reading. 

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1633082/fti-asks-delay-on-electronic-waste-bill-fearing-exodus