Thai Government Suspends "Thai Innovation List" for Review Following Concerns of Concentrated Procurement

Key summary

The Cabinet has resolved that the Bureau of the Budget, in collaboration with the National Innovation Agency and the National Research Council, should suspend the review and announcement of the "Thai Innovation List" to comprehensively review the entire process within 60 days. Relevant agencies, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and Commerce, will investigate issues related to procurement practices, including concerns about concentrated procurement in existing products, a decrease in procurement proportions, overlaps with other systems, and risks of monopolies, as well as potential conflicts with OECD and WTO procurement principles. Currently, the Thai Innovation List includes 567 remaining items out of a total of 940 previously announced items.