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Kulit Sombatsiri, director-general of the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO), has said that as of May, 35 state enterprises using the fiscal-year system were eligible to disburse Bt38.585 billion of a total investment budget of Bt144.68 billion.
Another 11 state enterprises were eligible to disburse Bt50.55 billion out of a total investment budget of Bt206.19, he said.
“State enterprises have seen delays in disbursement of the investment budget, which did not follow the plan. SEPO, thus, is accelerating the disbursement to have money moving into the economic system, building up the country's fiscal stability and helping drive its economy,” he said.
The disbursement budget for the 46 state agencies was 25.40 per cent of this year's total investment budget.
In the fiscal year 2015, the investment budget for disbursement totals Bt350.87 billion.

ADB CUTS FORECAST
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has cut its 2015 growth forecast for developing Asia to 6.1 per cent from 6.3 per cent, amidst slower-than-expected economic activity in the United States and China, according to a new report.
In a supplement to its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2015 report published in March, ADB projected 2016 gross-domestic-product growth for the region at 6.2 per cent, down from 6.3 per cent forecast previously.
The ADO is ADB’s flagship annual economic publication.
“Slower growth in the PRC [China] is likely to have a noticeable effect on the rest of Asia given its size and its close links with other countries in the region through regional and global value chains,” said ADB chief economist Shang-Jin Wei.

SURAPONG HEARINGS
The Supreme Court yesterday accepted a malfeasance case filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission against former Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee.
The NACC filed the case with the Supreme court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions last month, accusing Surapong, 58, of committing malfeasance in violation of Section 157 of the Criminal Code while serving as finance minister in the People Power Party-led government of former prime minister Samak Sundaravej.
After receiving a petition from the Office of the Ombudsman, the anti-graft agency conducted a probe and concluded that Surapong had illegally appointed the chairman and a member of the board at the Bank of Thailand.
The NACC claimed some members of the selection committee did not meet the qualifications specified in the Bank of Thailand Act (1942) and Article 28/1 of the fourth amendment to the Bank of Thailand Act (2008). Hence, the NACC found there were grounds to support the alleged accusation.
The first hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30am on October 8.
The Supreme Court’s nine-member panel of judges selected Ubonrath Luivikkai, the president of the Environmental Division of the Supreme Court, as the judge for this case.