CAT president Colonel Sanpachai Huvanandana said recently that CAT had already set a budget of Bt120 million to hire an adviser to study the merger of the three redundant businesses with those of TOT. It is expected to select the adviser this month.
Recently, the State Enterprise Policy Commission urged both TOT and CAT to finalise the hiring of advisers to study the mergers by the end of this year.
The other issue the new permanent secretary is expected to focus on is the plan to reform the satellite industry. The ministry wants to discuss with Thaicom its plan to put the company's Thaicom 7 and 8 satellites back into the ministry's existing concession regime.
The ministry believes that the two latest satellites, which operate under the NBTC's licensing regime, should come under its concession regime, since the concession system is still in force.
Thaicom 4, 5 and 6 operate under the ministry's concession, which finishes in 2021.