news feed
Play
BAAC to give Bt40 bn in aid to farmers
The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives board of directors will gather on October 15 at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Somchai Pasi to approve Bt40 billion in financial aid for farmers as resolved by the Cabinet.
The ministry believes the financial aid should raise gross domestic product by no more than 0.2 per cent.
Farmers nationwide who work on leased property (not farm owners) are entitled to receive financial aid of Bt1,000 per rai (Bt6,250 per hectare) from the BAAC after registering with and receiving certification from the Department of Agricultural Extension.
BAAC officials will conduct random inspections to prevent fraud by unqualified people seeking to obtain the aid and will take legal action against violators, BAAC president Luck Wajananawat said.
The Budget Bureau will allocate a budget to compensate for the cost of the funds equivalent to the average fixed deposit rate (FDR) of four local major commercial banks (currently 1.4 per cent) plus 1 percentage point, for a final rate of 2.4 per cent.
Currently, there are about 400,000 farmers certified by the Department of Agricultural Extension.
This latest financial aid programme will begin on October 20. All payments should be completed in about a month to six weeks. They will benefit 2.8 million to 2.9 million households.
TAT in talks to host Tour de France
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is in talks with Paris-based Amaury Sport Organisation over the possibility of staging the world’s biggest cycling race, the Tour de France, in Thailand in 2015, the year when the entire Southeast Asian region will integrate under the Asean Economic Community framework.
A high-level Thai delegation led by Vilaiwan Twichasri, TAT deputy governor for tourism products and business, held preliminary talks with Jean-Etienne Amaury, chairman of the main agency organising the annual Tour de France, in Paris on September 11, to seek ways of holding this prestigious sporting event in Thailand.
The initiative to hold the Tour de France here as part of TAT’s plans to develop cycling tourism has been around for decades in Thailand. The initiative also aims to promote eco-friendly travel and green tourism, as cycling is energy-saving and harmless to the environment, as well as promoting good health for the riders.
Joint roadshows on economy
The Stock Exchange of Thailand, together with key government units and stockbroker partners, will organise both inbound and outbound roadshows throughout October, aiming to give insights into Thailand’s economic direction to domestic and foreign funds.
Inbound set up today as the outbound will go to New York on October 8, SET president Kesara Manchusree said.
s from the money-market sector and state-owned enterprises.
