‘Economic forest’ bid to cut PM2.5

Tax relief for private sector to plant trees

The Thai Chamber of Commerce recommends the government reduce income and land taxes for private sector enterprises which turn their empty land into green areas to help relieve the impact of toxic PM2.5 dust.

Its chairman Kalin Sarasin said yesterday that “economic forests” could be a solution to the air pollution problem which has become seasonal, affecting many provinces, including Bangkok, at the beginning of each year.

The government has already issued a policy to promote economic forests, but its attempt has so far gained little success.

“The policy lacks incentives. That’s why the economic forest idea is not very popular,” Mr Kalin said.

He has discussed the tax reduction proposal with Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana who promised to look into the issue.

Though green areas are not a direct way to fix the dust problem at its source — notably vehicle engine emissions and outdoor burning — more green areas are viewed by Mr Kalin as an increase of cities or provinces’ capability to absorb air pollutants.

Tree leaves can absorb PM2.5 dust,

Mr Kalin said. He said research conducted for a US-based Nature Conservancy report in 2016 supported this approach.

Pisut Painmanakul, a scholar of Chulalongkorn University’s Environmental Engineering Department, said a lack of green space was a contributing factor to bad air quality.

“This tax incentive will be attractive for businessmen who know how to make use of their vast tracts of land and are currently worried over the high tax rate imposed on their unused, empty land,” Prachya Samalapa, vicechairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said.

An idea to turn these plots of land into crop plantations may not be a good idea because this will lead to more produce supplies and eventually reduce crop prices, he said.

Economic forests will not only be good to environment, but it can also generate economic value as trees can be cut for sales, Mr Prachya said.