policy. The Thaksin government imposed an excise tax on privately offered fixed and cellular services, and then allowed telecom companies to deduct the amount they paid in excise tax from concession fees they had to pay to state concession owners TOT or CAT Telecom. The total amount paid by the private telecom firms did not change. The Surayud government's excise tax cancellation meant that TOT and CAT Telecom would receive their full concession payments. However, TOT and CAT were then forced to increase their dividends to the Ministry of Finance to account for their increased income. Changing the publicly listed state-enterprise media company MCOT's policy from focusing on monetary benefits to social benefits. MCOT's stock prices dropped 5.13% to an 11-month low as a result. Culture The planned ban against all forms of advertising for alcoholic beverages. The banning of all "sexually arousing dances" (locally called "coyote dances") during the Loy Kratong festival. Public health Making the 30-baht universal healthcare program completely free. The Budget Bureau criticized the move. The government later cut the universal healthcare program budget by over 3.8 billion baht, providing a subsidy of just 1,899 baht per head, compared to the previously proposed figure of 2,089 baht. The number of eligible people was cut from 48 to 46 million people. License the production and sale of patented HIV and heart disease drugs without the permission of the foreign patent owners. Lack of public health budget was cited as the reasons for breaking the patents. "It has stunned our industry," said the President of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PReMA). The Minister of Public Health claimed that pharmaceutical industry was reaping "colossal" profits. Under World Trade Organization rules, a government is allowed to break patents under after declaring a "national emergency." Breaking the patents of Abbott's HIV treatment Kaletra and Sanofi-Aventis' blood clot drug Plavix was estimated to save Thailand US$24 million a year. Energy The indefinite delayal of the previous government's policy of converting all octane 95 gasoline sales to gasohol. The cancellation of state electricity company EGAT's guaranteed 50% share in all new power plant construction. The prevention of EGAT from participating in bidding for new electricity plants under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) program. The cancellation of plans to import hydroelectric power and natural gas from Myanmar. Security and the southern insurrection An increase in military spending. Since 1999, military spending had remained