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Rice-stockpile bids open August 28
The Commerce Ministry will soon open bidding on its 753,000-tonne rice stockpile to increase supply in the market.
Bidding will not be restricted to exporters, as in the previous round, but will be open for
those planning to sell in the local market too. Bidding will open on August 28.
The ministry will release its paddy stock from the rice-pledging programme from the 2011-12 harvest season, totalling 499,000 tonnes. This includes 100 per cent jasmine rice B grade, Prathum Thani rice and broken rice.
In addition, 5 per cent white rice with a total volume of 210,000 tonnes will be opened for bidding.
Higher noodle, sauce prices approved
The Internal Trade Department has given the green light for the retail prices of instant noodles and fish sauce to be increased after the producer of Mama – the Kingdom’s best-selling instant noodle brand – and fish sauce producers said they intended to do so soon.
Vatchari Vimooktayon, director-general of the department, said that if any goods producers wanted to increase prices, the department would consider the request based on rising production costs.
She said that although the Commerce Ministry retains its price-freeze measure until the end of next month, the government would consider reasonable price-rise proposals.
However, she believed that it would not be easy for producers to boost prices, as they would face higher competition amid a freer flow of trade in goods among Asean nations and with China.
TMB Bank sees SME loan portfolio expand 15% as it promotes supply-chain products
TMB Bank’s SME loan portfolio in the first half jumped by 15 per cent to Bt114 billion after it strongly promoted supply-chain products along with a transactional banking strategy to small businesses.
Paphon Mangkhalathanakun, chief SME and supply-chain officer, said yesterday that of the portfolio, Bt54 billion was loans to small businesses and the rest to medium-size enterprises.
The bank has attempted to help SMEs access funds because the segment is a key engine of the country’s growth. Besides the portfolio guarantee scheme, the bank offers financial management to SMEs through the “One Bank One Account” campaign. Since it was launched in June, it has attracted more than 2,000 SME accounts.
TMB believes that transaction banking will strengthen the loan portfolio and ensure credit growth of 35-40 per cent this year, Paphon said.
Gold, smart phones drive First Choice
Krungsri First Choice loans hit a new record of Bt20 billion in the first six months, thanks to surging demand for gold and smart phones.
The company had extended personal loans for purchasing gold, beauty and wellness products and services, and smart phones early this year, while the Smart Choice campaign also boosted new loans and new customers.
The company could draw 15,000 new customers in the period, executive vice president Nayanee Peaugkham said yesterday.
Of the new loans, 70 per cent was Krungsri First Choice 2 in 1 card and Krungsri Debit First Choice 4 in 1 card. The rest was Krungsri First Choice Visa 3 in 1 card. The company will focus more on the smart-phone and tablet-computer markets in the rest of the year as they are growing rapidly.
Krungsri First Choice will be able to secure leadership of the retail loan market this year with a customer base of 2 million and outstanding loans of nearly Bt30 billion, Nayanee said. Its new cardholders this year will rise by 30 per cent, new loans by 20 per cent and outstanding loans by 5-8 per cent.
Krabi resort gets new GM
Kata Group Resorts Thailand, the operator of the upmarket Beyond Resorts brand of hospitality destinations, has appointed Claude Baltes as general manager of Beyond Resort Krabi.
Born in Luxembourg and educated in France, Baltes is a graduate of the renowned Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne hotel-management school in Switzerland. He possesses more than 20 years of top-level international hospitality-management experience.
Gasma Print trade fair next month
The Thai Graphic Arts Suppliers and Manufacturers Trade Association will hold the Gasma Print trade fair at Bitec Bang Na from September 19-22.
The show will highlight new and advanced printing technology and equipment to create higher value for work from pre-print technology, printing machines and post-printing machinery to other materials and equipment for printing techniques. It expects to see up to Bt2 billion in sales from the event.
