Industry ban raises govt fears

       The government plans to appeal against a court order suspending the operations of 76 industrial projects countrywide.
       It is feared Thailand will lose the confidence of investors if the suspension is not contested.
       The government will file an appeal as soon as possible, particularly in the case of 14 projects worth 100 billion baht which have been granted permits to continue construction, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.
       The Industry Ministry, the Council of State, the Attorney-General's Office and other agencies have been directed to come up with a plan of response in the next day or two.
       The Administrative Court on Tuesday issued an injunction suspending the operating permits of 76 industrial projects, many of which are in Map Ta Phut in Rayong, which had been granted government approval. The injunction serves to prevent all operations or activities by the projects pending a further Administrative Court hearing into whether the recent approvals are in breach of the charter.
       The court cited a National Environment Board decision to declare three districts in Rayong a pollution control zone, saying pollution problems at Map Ta Phut and elsewhere had worsened.
       Mr Abhisit said economic ministers agreed yesterday the government should ask the court to explain its reasons and on what authority it had ordered the suspension so government agencies could use these as guidelines in reviewing industrial projects.
       "In the injunction of the Administrative Court it is not clear what the government should do next, particularly in regard to the industrial projects ordered suspended," Mr Abhisi said.
       "The government has already complied with Article 67 of the constitution which requires new industrial projects to conduct both environmental and health impact analyses."
       Mr Abhisit said the government needed to make the regulations clear to investors if it was to build confidence.
       "Investors will understand and comply with the law as long as government agencies come up with clear regulations.Any uncertainty or unclear policy will definitely affect investors' confidence."
       Sorayud Petchtrakul, an adviser to the industry minister, said the AttorneyGeneral's Office would act on the ministry's behalf in filing an appeal today with the Supreme Administrative Court seeking a petition against the lower court's ruling. It will contend the permits were granted only after careful consideration."The request to petition against the suspension should not take long," he said.