Levy on Chinese citric acid to continue

The levy will 38.1 per cent. The Commerce Ministry found that citric acid imports from China increased more than 200 per cent last year. Citric acid is used in the food and beverage industries. China is the world’s major supplier of the chemical. –The Nation

Cabinet to consider cassava pledging

The Cabinet will next week consider plans to start the cassava pledging project soon after price of cassava has fallen largely as China has suspended its exports.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said that the pledging price will start at Bt2.60 per kilogram of cassava. The cassava price is now traded below Bt2.5 per kilo in the current harvest season, while China has temporarily suspended its shipment from Thailand, citing the export procedure has caused environmental problems. – The Nation

Kasikornbank offers green loans

Kasikornbank is ready to lend to companies who want to concentrate on reducing the greenhouse effect for which Bt3 billion loans will be provided.

Kasikorn Bank, the Energy Ministry, the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency and Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation yesterday inked a cooperation agreement to join forces under the “Pilot Project to increase energy utilisation and reduce greenhouse gas in the building”. The project has been drawn up to allow concerned organisations able to evaluate quantity of greenhouse gas effects from the energy use in the building. In addition, it will help measurable, reportable and verifiable carbon credit.

Songpol Chevapanyaroj, executive vice president of the bank, said yesterday that the bank has already designed some products to encourage reduction in energy utilisation. For instance, the K-energy savings guarantee supports companies in the form of leasing and long-term loans to purchase machine and equipment. – The Nation

Tararom to launch four residential projects

Tararom Enterprises plans to launch four new residential projects worth Bt2 billion to boost sales growth to 25 per cent from Bt1.2 billion last year.

The company’s managing director, Wasant Kiengsiri, said that three new single detached house projects are being developed with a price range of Bt4 million to Bt7 million per unit. The next will be a condo project offering units priced at Bt1.89 million.

One of the three single detached house projects is located on Soi Wat Lad Pra Duk in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi. The next two are located on Ramkhamhaeng Road. The condominium project is located on Sukhumvit 64 and is called Link.

Supalai expects 14% boost in pre-sales

Supalai plans to launch 19 new residential projects worth Bt20 billion to boost pre-sales to Bt20 billion this year, up 14 per cent of its pre-sales of Bt17.5 billion last year, the company’s CEO Prathep Tangmatithum said yesterday.

Six of 19 new residential projects will be condominiums in Bangkok and its suburbs, and the other 13 projects will be low-rise residences in Bangkok and provinces such as Phuket, Khon Kaen, Songkhla and Chiang Mai. The company is targeting increasing pre-sales from the provinces from 13 per cent of total pre-sales last year to 16 per cent this year, he said.

The company has also set aside an investment budget of Bt4 billion to buy undeveloped land this year for developing residential projects next year.

Currently, the company is developing 60 residential projects with a combined 30,000 units worth Bt100 billion. Of that Bt22 billion worth has already been sold and is awaiting transfer to customers this year and next year. – The Nation