NBTC board candidates pass initial stage
Seven seats to come from varying fields
All 80 applicants for National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board members have passed preliminary qualification verification by the Senate, with seven expected to be confirmed as board members by the end of February.
These candidates had their qualifications approved by the secretariat of the Senate committee responsible for selecting NBTC board members on Friday.
The committee has scheduled vision presentations and interview sessions for applicants from Jan 19-21.
Based on the NBTC Act, the seven seats on the NBTC board must come from seven different fields: telecom, broadcasting, TV business, law, engineering, economics and consumer protection.
The applicants are required to identify which fields they want to represent.
“The selection process is expected to be completed by the end of February to prevent any unpredictable circumstances that could delay the recruitment process, as the Senate’s ordinary meeting session will close on Feb 28,” said a source at the selection committee who requested anonymity.
The recruitment of new NBTC board members will be done under the existing NBTC Act, which came into effect in 2017.
Applicants must be aged 40-70 and they must select a specific field. They need to have qualifications and experience in line with their chosen field.
Initially, 14 shortlisted names from the seven fields of expertise are determined, two from each field.
The Senate will then vote to select seven of them — one from each field. A total of 80 people submitted applications for the job in October last year.
Meanwhile, the amendment to the NBTC Act is still underway. It has passed the House of Representatives’ consideration and is being vetted by the Senate’s committee on information technology, communication and telecommunication, led by Gen Anantaporn Kanjanarat.
The Senate is obliged to complete its deliberation of the amendment bill by Feb 1, 60 days after it received the bill for consideration.
The amendment also touches on the recruitment of the NBTC board. The amendment shortens the process of recruitment, as the selection of seven board members will be done only one time through a Senate vote.
No obligation is required for the seven board members to represent
The recruitment of new NBTC board members will be done under the existing NBTC Act, which came into effect in 2017.
seven fields as stipulated in the existing act.
On Monday, Gen Anantaporn wrote to the Senate speaker, asking him to defer the deliberation deadline by another 30 days, as senators want to amend some parts of four sections in the amendment bill, which requires thorough consideration.
The pandemic also makes it difficult for senators to have a meeting to deliberate the bill, according to his statement.