Incinerator “on hold until after elections’ – Governor

PHUKET: Consideration of approval for funding to build a second garbage incinerator is likely to have to wait until a new government is elected in the national elections slated for December 23, Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit told the Gazette yesterday.

“Bearing in mind the current political situation as the government gears up for national elections at the end of this year, I think we will have to wait for the new government to be elected before approval for the budget to build a new incinerator can be considered,” said Governor Niran.

If the central government does not approve funding for another incinerator, the private sector may be offered the chance to tackle the island’s garbage-disposal issues instead. If this is the case, and the private sector is prepared to invest, then sections of the Public-Private Investment Act will have to be changed, said Governor Niran.

Private companies PTT and Ecco have already submitted plans for alternative garbage-disposal solutions and they are prepared to invest many millions of baht with some of the money borrowed from the BOI, which was outlined in the signing of an MOU between the Ministry of Energy, Phuket Province and British renewable energy company Sepco on October 5 at Sepco offices in Bangkok, he added.

Comprehensive studies have already been conducted regarding the necessary investment, but approval for any funding or changes in the rulings covering private investment will not be made until after the December elections, said Governor Niran.

Sepco has already surveyed the Phuket incinerator area and said that nowhere else in this world is there an incinerator located near a beach and that they will be able to dispose of the garbage in the 128 rai landfill, turning it into a green zone and public area using modern garbage disposal technology from the UK, added Governor Niran.