Briefs

Sugar millers are upbeat on the business outlook for the 2011-12 harvest season, forecasting output in excess of 10 billion kilograms and more than Bt100 billion in export income.
Wanyaree Paisuksantiwatana, secretary to the public relations committee of three sugar associations covering all 46 sugar millers nationwide, said millers had crushed more than 90 million tonnes of cane as of April 1. While expecting higher export income, she ruled out a domestic supply shortage thanks to the inventory of 343 million kilograms from the previous harvest season. – The Nation

CLSA exec leaves
Tim Taylor, CLSA’s country manager for Thailand, will leave the brokerage after two years, he said yesterday.
Taylor, 43, plans to spend more time with his family, he said. Taylor and his research team were ranked No 3 for Thailand research last year by Institutional Investor magazine.
Prinn Panitchpakdi said he would return from Hong Kong to become the country head for Thailand. – Bloomberg

Banks beg to differ
Siam Commercial Bank and Bank of Ayudhya have different views on what the central bank’s policy rate will in the latter half of the year.
While expecting oil prices to ease in the second quarter and hence soften inflationary pressure, SCB is of the view that the Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee should maintain the policy rate at 3 per cent through end of this year.
BAY, however, foresees acceleration in inflation in second half, due mainly to oil prices and the increased minimum wage. It expects annualised inflation to hit 4-4.5 per cent in the period, against 3.5 per cent in the first half. "The pressure may be strong enough to force a policy-rate hike late this year to maintain economic stability," it said in a report. – The Nation