Briefs

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank) expects its non-performing loans (NPL) to drop significantly this month as a result of debt sales and restructuring, while reporting Bt837 million in net profit for the first eight months of the year.
The bank’s NPLs fell by Bt4.95 billion to Bt27.01 billion, or 31.43 per cent of total loans, during the first eight months, said chairman Salinee Wangtal.
The board of directors has approved the bank’s restructuring plan to facilitate loan extension, joint investment and development of business operators. The bank’s centres for credit extension will be set up in five special economic zones.
It has also set up a unit for joint investment and development of business operators and a unit to monitor the quality of loans guaranteed by the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation.
SME Bank posted a net profit of Bt837 million for the first eight months, driven by an increase in interest receivables and controlled expenses. In August alone, it recorded a net profit of Bt131 million and received repayment, in both principal and accrued interest, from some of its NPL debtors.
As of the end of August, the bank had extended new loans totalling Bt20.2 billion to 8,808 customers, while its outstanding loans stood at Bt85.94 billion. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio was 10.02 per cent.

HOSPITAL GROUPS UNITE
Five private hospital associations in Asean have endorsed the Yangon Declaration as a crucial move to enhance cooperation and jointly develop medical service standards in the region.
Dr Pongpat Patanavanich, president of the Private Hospital Association of Thailand, said that after the first round of discussions at “Hospital Management Asia 2014” in Cebu, Philippines, the five associations – from Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam – convened a second meeting (HMA 2015) in Yangon from September 2-4 this year and reached an agreement to deepen cooperation.
The Yangon Declaration affirms the commitments to establish the Asean Private Hospital Association, taking the member hospitals to the next level of collaborative network.