The cabinet decided on Wednesday that it will let its successor deal with the debt incurred by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in hiring Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) to operate the Green Line extension, according to a Government House source.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda told the cabinet of the debt which the BMA is supposed to pay BTS Group Holdings for operating the Green Line extension, worth around 78 billion baht.
The cabinet acknowledged the outstanding debt and will hand it to the next government to deal with as it is beyond the power of the caretaker government to resolve.
The BMA is waiting for the government to take action on the debt problem, after the BMA submitted a letter to the Interior Ministry seeking the government's help in sorting out the issues associated with the Green Line extension, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said.
Mr Chadchart said the BMA has urged the government to help absorb the costs of building the Green Line's infrastructure and the electrical and mechanical (E&M) installation work, worth around 20 billion baht, adding that the BMA was unable to take care of the costs.
Mr Chadchart said the BMA was prepared to pay for the E&M installation debt. However, this must be approved by the BMA council first.
At present, the BMA and its business arm Krungthep Thanakhom (KT) owe about 30 billion baht to the BTSC for operating and maintaining the Green Line's first extension on the On Nut-Bearing and Saphan Taksin-Bang Wa sections, as well as the second extension on the Bearing-Samut Prakan and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot sections.
