The kinetics of oxidation of 1,3-butlene glycol (beta - BG) by dihydroxyditelluto- argentate(III) were studied spectrophotometrically between 298.2 and 313.2 K in alkaline medium. The reaction rate showed pseudo-first order dependence in oxidant and fractional order in beta-BG. The pseudo-first order rate constantk(obs), increased with an increase in the concentration of OH- and a decrease in the concentration of TeO42-. There was a negative salt effect and no free radicals were detected. Thus, the dihydroxymonotelluratoargentale(III) species is assumed to be the active species. The activation parameters along with the rate constants of the rate-determining step were calculated.