Briefs

trip to Myanmar this month
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has cancelled her visit to Myanmar to discuss progress on the Dawei deep-sea port and special economic zone project, as it clashes with a visit planned by Myanmar President Thein Sein to Australia.
 Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and representatives of a number of committees will, however, participate in the Dawei conference on December 16 and 17, as scheduled.
 
Excise Dept hopes to squeeze
more out of beer consumers
The Excise Department hopes to increase the rate of duty levied on beer, director-general Somchai Pulsawas said yesterday.
 The size of the beer market has continued to increase, leading to excise collection of Bt64 billion for the fiscal year that ended on September 30.
 He said any hike in the tax level would be a policy matter, requiring consideration by both the Cabinet and Parliament.
 The department has not yet discussed a possible duty increase with brewers, even though tax revenue data for October showed duty on beer had exceed the target by more than Bt1 billion.
 Revenue collected on beer accounts for 17 per cent of overall Excise Department income.
 
CBRE named lead agent for
AIA Bangkok office projects
AIA Thailand has appointed CBRE Thailand as the principal agent for leasing grade-A office space in the AIA Capital Centre and AIA Sathorn Tower, its first large-scale property projects in Thailand with a total of 92,500 square metres of rentable area.
 Ron van Oijen, AIA Thailand’s CEO, said the projects would be the first grade-A office development in Bangkok’s northern corridor, potentially providing AIA with a footstep to grow beyond its core business in life insurance.
 Nithipat Tongpun, executive director and head of office services at CBRE Thailand, said the AIA Capital Centre would open up a new market for grade-A office space outside Bangkok’s central business district.
 
Executive appointment
at CIMB Thai Bank
CIMB Thai Bank has announced the appointment of Sittichai Mahaguna as executive vice president in charge of its Corporate Finance Group, taking care of investment banking business.
 Sittichai was recently made a director of CIMB Securities (Thailand).
 
SME Bank launches
new loan programme
The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand has launched a financial programme to help small enterprises by granting lower-interest loans of up to Bt1 million, with a five-year instalment repayment period.
 The programme targets SMEs seeking to expand their business, as well as those requiring working capital to improve liquidity.
 The minimum credit line under the scheme is Bt50,000.
 
Seven-month fixed deposit
from Bangkok Bank
Bangkok Bank has introduced a new seven-month fixed-deposit account, offering an interest rate of 2.8 per cent per annum.
 The bank has also continued its four-month fixed deposit account, offering 2.75 per cent per year.
 Executive vice president Thaweelap Rittapirom said: “The seven-month and four-month fixed-deposit accounts initiative reflects Bangkok Bank’s ongoing consumer banking expansion strategy. The offers combined in the fixed account include an attractive high interest rate, a shorter deposit term compared to similar deposit products in the market, and a low initial deposit of Bt200,000.
 “The account is well suited for customer needs, with returns appropriate to the current environment of rising inflation and uncertain interest rates.” – The Nation