Bangkok, June 23 – Director General of the Department of Cooperative Promotion reveals Power of Attorney filed a lawsuit against Tha Uthen Agricultural Cooperative, Nakhon Phanom Province, after the cooperative was unable to find money to return the 40-ton rice mill given by the Department Emphasize that the cooperative has broken the contract, therefore it is necessary to take legal action.
Mr. Wisit Srisuwan, Director-General of the Department of Cooperative Promotion, said authorized representatives Filed a lawsuit against the Tha Uthen Agricultural Cooperative, Ltd., Nakhon Phanom Province, for breach of contract because the cooperative was unable to find money to return the 40-ton rice mill that was given by the Cooperative Promotion Department in 2001.
In this regard, Tha Uthen Agricultural Cooperative Limited has requested a budget and participated. "Agricultural Restructuring Loan Project (ASPL)" created by the Department of Cooperative Promotion. By asking for support for mill equipment, size 40 tons / day, which was approved by the general meeting of the cooperative. as well as fully acknowledge the conditions for sending donations and fees to the Cooperative Development Fund With documents for preparing a memorandum of agreement/memorandum of consent as evidence, the donation amount is 8,775,900 baht. The period for sending donations to the Cooperative Development Fund is 14 years, without sending donations in the first 2 years and starting in 2002. to 2015, which is in accordance with the consent dated December 6, 2001.
For the “Agricultural Restructuring Loan Project (ASPL)” created by the Department of Cooperative Promotion. This is in accordance with the resolution of the Management Committee of the Agricultural Production Restructuring Loan Project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, which aims to develop production factors, marketing and production management to meet the quality standards of consumers. It can add value to the product and increase the bargaining power of farmers. In this project, subsidies are allocated to farmers institutions (cooperatives) to support the construction of infrastructure such as mills, silos, drying fields, changs, etc., with the condition that farmers institutions (cooperatives) must pay a utilization fee. An account opened in the Cooperative Development Fund (KorSor.) at the specified rate and duration (not more than 20 years) to be used as working capital to support the same operations for other farmer institutions.
In the implementation of the ASPL project, the Provincial Cooperative Office has clarified the process of requesting budget support. Including conditions for sending donation payments and fees to the cooperative development fund. which was presented to the general meeting of cooperatives wishing to request support from the Department for members to acknowledge and jointly consider participating in the project If the general meeting of the cooperative resolves to request for budget support and project participation. will enter the process of preparing a memorandum of agreement / memorandum of consent to participate in the project
during the project The Department of Cooperative Promotion has several measures to help cooperatives participating in the project that may encounter problems and obstacles in sending donations and fees, for example, measures to approve requests to adjust the schedule for sending donations and fees. Measures to approve refusal or reduction of payment of fees to cooperatives wishing to send donations in full before maturity Measures to approve loans with an interest rate of 1 percent for cooperatives that can make payments in installments. Including measures to consider proposals for compromise before and after the court's judgment according to the regulations of the Cooperative Development Fund (PDF) to help alleviate the debt repayment troubles of the cooperatives participating in the project as much as possible.
In the case of Tha Uthen Agricultural Cooperative Limited, later on, the cooperative notified its intention of not being able to pay donations and fees as scheduled. The Department has considered approving the adjustment of the donation and fee payment schedule for 2 times, the first time on September 23, 2005 and the second time on September 25, 2015. The Cooperative Development Fund has recorded all ASPL receivables as assets of The Fund, therefore, solving the outstanding debt problem of the cooperatives participating in the ASPL project must proceed in accordance with the regulations and guidelines set by the Cooperative Development Fund.
The Director-General of the Department of Cooperative Promotion emphasized that over the past 23 years, the Department has continuously monitored the utilization of equipment and fundamentals that have been subsidized by the ASPL Agricultural Restructuring Loan Project. by instructing all cooperatives that If there is a problem with the payment of fees from the use of such equipment to the Cooperative Development Fund Coordinate through the provincial cooperative office in the area to request a waiver. The department has assistance measures to fully support the operations of cooperatives. But if the cooperative breaches the contract and insists on not reimbursing The Cooperative Promotion Department needs to take further legal action.
However, according to information as of March 31, 2023, there are 191 cooperatives participating in the ASPL agricultural restructuring loan project that have already paid donations and fees to the Cooperative Development Fund in the amount of 1,288.492 million baht, representing 77.07 percent of the payment plan. There are 151 cooperatives that have paid their debts and 39 that are in arrears.
Source: Thai News Agency