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PANELS TO EYE STRATEGIES ON SIX ECONOMIC CROPS
The Commerce Ministry is collaborating with the Agriculture Ministry to set up six working committees to draw up strategies and plans for managing six economic crops, namely rice, rubber, oil palm, cassava, maize and fruits.
The working panel will draw up plans and measures to manage each crop from upstream to downstream to ensure a balance of supply and demand, as well as prepare for the upcoming Asean integration, which would cause an inflow of agricultural commodities from neighbouring countries.
SME BANK CUTS NPLS
The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand said it had reduced the number of non-performing loans by Bt288 million last month.
That means the total number of NPLs declined from Bt35.167 billion at the end of June last year to Bt31.672 billion as of the end of January 2015, or by Bt3.495 billion in seven months.
The SME Bank’s chairman of the board, Salinee Wangtan, said the reduction was due to the restructuring of customers’ debts and the increased customer service coverage in accord with its restoration plan.
In January, the bank approved around 1,000 new retail loans for SMEs and One Tambon One Product (Otop) operators.
About Bt1.931 billion was disbursed; all of the loans were less than Bt15 million.
MORE CHINESE EXPECTED
Thawatchai Arunyik, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said more travellers from Greater China were expected to come to the Kingdom to celebrate Chinese New Year than in 2014.
He said that aside from Bangkok, Phuket had become one of the top destinations for Chinese and was expected to see a strong influx during the Chinese New Year period, judging from higher bookings than last year.
TAT predicted that 530,000 Chinese would travel to Thailand during the Chinese New Year festival and generate income of Bt22.9 billion.
The festival begins on February 19.
