Briefs
KBank's boss says sorry Banthoon Lamsam, chairman of Kasikornbank, said yesterday that the installation and execution of the new core banking system over the past weekend was successful.
On behalf of the bank, he also offered his sincerest apologies to customers who experienced any inconvenience and thanked all of them for their patience.
“The new core banking system will increase stability and ensure precision within KBank’s customer database system, while also enhancing greater connectivity across multiple consumer access platforms.
“These innovations should lead to the faster rollout of new products and services, especially when the bank is gearing up towards the full-on digital business era, in which digital banking will become exponentially significant.
The new core banking system would further enhance digital banking businesses, poising the bank to be the leader in providing service innovations that enable instant connections through customers’ cutting-edge technology gadgets. “KBank is determined to develop the best services to assure customer satisfaction,” he said.
Global CEOs optimistic
Chief executive officers of global businesses are confident both in the ability of their companies to grow over the next three years and in the prospects for the global economy, according to KPMG International.
In its survey of 1,278 CEOs, KPMG found that 69 per cent of CEOs in Europe, 66 per cent in Asia-Pacific and 52 per cent in the US are more confident than they were last year about growth and the global economy in the next three years.
In assessing their own company’s growth prospects, 70 per cent of European CEOs, 68 per cent of Apac CEOs and 19 per cent of US CEOs indicated they are more confident than a year ago.
CEOs globally are set to hire, with 78 per cent indicating they are expecting to be in hiring mode through mid-2018.
BAAC giving credit lift to cash-poor farmers
The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives will seek a year extension for its off-system debt relief project, which expires this September, while raising the credit limit per farmer from Bt100,000 to Bt150,000.
BAAC president Luck Wajananawat said yesterday the state bank will submit the proposal to its board at its July 27 meeting, which will be chaired by Finance Minister Sommai Phasee.
The proposed collateralised loans will carry an interest rate of 12 per cent and mature in no more than 10 years or, in special repayment cases, no more than 12 years. Based on a recent survey, 149,000 out of 1.6 million farmers have taken out underground loans totalling Bt21 billion, or about Bt140,000 per farmer.
More than 90,000 of them, owing about Bt13 billion, have run into financial troubles, pledged their land or sold land on consignment, and their property is about to be foreclosed on.
BAAC has also launched three drought relief measures worth Bt60 billion. One is to extend repayment for nine to 12 months.
The other two are to offer Bt30 billion of short-term loans from July 15 until October 15 and Bt30 billion of long-term loans from July 15, 2015, until July 31, 2018. For the long-term loans, Bt10 billion will be made available each year.
