Briefs

The Department of Industrial Works will discuss with the Department of Energy Business the need to order all 19 NGV-refilling plants to apply for factory licences under the Factory Act.
Nathapol Nathasomboon, director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, clarified that in the past, refilling plants for natural gas for vehicles were considered by the department as being operated similarly to fuel stations, and hence were exempted from applying for a factory licence. From now, the Department of Energy Business will inform all NGV refilling plants to apply for such a licence.

Banks eyed
Foreign investors are interested in acquiring and investing in Thai financial institutions, such as banks and securities firms, as the gateway to future business opportunities under the Asean Economic Community in 2015, according to JPMorgan Securities (Thailand).
The firm sees good prospects for investment banking and is prepared to boost capital by US$100 million (about Bt3 billion) to support business expansion in accordance with the Thai central bank’s requirements, managing director ML Chayotid Kridakon said.

Renewables event
More than 300 companies from 30 countries will descend on Bangkok for “Renewable Energy Asia 2013”. The event is designed to bolster Thailand’s position as an Asian hub for renewable energy, said organiser UBM Asia (Thailand).
Scheduled to be held from June 5-8 at Bitec, the event has drawn support from Thailand’s energy authorities, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries.
 Company chairman Manu Leopairote said the number of participants had increased by 20 per cent from last year.

Fitch rates BMTA bonds equal to BAY
Fitch Ratings (Thailand) has assigned Bangkok Mass Transit System’s four tranches of guaranteed debentures national long-term ratings of “AA-(tha)”.
The tranches – Bt2.1-billion debenture due August 2013, Bt3.6-billion debenture due August 2014, Bt1.5-billion debenture due August 2015 and Bt1.3-billion debenture due August 2016 – are guaranteed by Bank of Ayudhya (“AA-(tha)”/stable).
The outlook is stable.
The ratings of the debentures are fully based on an unconditional and irrevocable guarantee of principal and interest of the debentures provided by BAY. As a result, the debentures are rated at the same level as the guarantor, BAY.

Moderate growth
Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport saw cargo volumes increase by 7.8 per cent last quarter, according to a traffic report issued by Dubai Airports.
Dubai World Central, which is being prepared for the launch of passenger operations in October, handled 53,974 tonnes of freight in the first three months this year – a gain of 7.8 per cent from 50,062 tonnes that passed through the facility during the corresponding period last year.
The moderate growth is the result of the high base of traffic developed after two years of rapid expansion as well as the periodic fluctuations of freight volumes carried by charter-driven operations during the period under review.
Air-traffic movements at the airport rose 16.8 per cent to 4,104 compared with 3,513 movements during the first quarter of 2012.
“Maintaining triple-digit air-freight traffic expansion is a difficult task … even in Dubai,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.
“The next step in the evolution of the airport will see continued cargo traffic growth, the commencement of passenger operations slated for October 27 with launch carriers Wizz Air and Nasair, and the hosting of its first ever Dubai Airshow from November 17. All will play a role in building our new airport’s growing brand reputation,” he said.
Dubai Airports’ total cargo shipments are expected to top 3 million tonnes by 2015 and an increasing portion of that growth is expected to spill over to DWC.