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The additional Bt50 billion in soft loans sponsored by the Government Savings Bank (GSB) for small and medium-sized enterprises has already been withdrawn from commercial banks, led by Bangkok Bank at Bt12.80 billion and followed by Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) and Krungthai Bank (KTB).

The Bt50 billion in soft loans are the second phase of the programme after the first phase of Bt100 billion in loans won overwhelming feedback from SMEs.

Under the scheme, the GSB charges interest of 0.1 per cent per annum to commercial banks, and the latter re-lends the money to SMEs at a rate of 4 per cent per annum.

The second phase of loans have seven-year terms, and are limited to Bt10 million per enterprise, while the maximum for the first phase was Bt50 million per enterprise.

Remedies sought

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s subcommittee on consumer-rights protection wants to meet with satellite-TV companies GMM Z, PSI Holdings and RS Sunbox to discuss the discontinuation of CTH’s Z Pay-TV service, Supinya Klangnarong, chairwoman of the panel, said yesterday.

Z Pay-TV, a service run by GMM B, a subsidiary of CTH, was withdrawn from GMM Z boxes on Sunday, and the service will no longer be available from PSI and Sunbox by the end of this month.

Supinya said Z Pay-TV violated licensing rules by breaching its contracts with consumers.

NSF transfer criteria

The Social Security Office (SSO) is collaborating with the National Savings Fund (NSF) to establish conditions for insured people who transfer their old-age pensions to the fund.

Kowit Sajjawiset, secretary-general of the SSO, signed a memorandum of understanding with Somporn Chitphentom, secretary-general of the NSF, to establish criteria and procedures for such transfers.

Under the agreement, the SSO will transfer relevant information and the whole pension amount of insured people who intend to become NSF members to the fund, and, thereafter, information will be transferred once a month.

Insured persons are required to inform the SSO of their intentions by March 23, and the transfers will end on April 20.

After informing the SSO, insured people can apply for NSF membership at Krungthai Bank, Government Savings Bank and Government Housing Bank.

Temporary shutdown

Krungthai Bank will shut down its electronic banking systems temporarily this Saturday and Sunday between 12.30am and 4.30pm to improve the electronics services of the bank.

The affected services include automated teller machines, automatic deposit machines, all electronic cards, interbank transfers and Visa money transfers.

All of the bank’s electronic services will resume to normal functions after 4.30pm on Sunday, February 14.

Those with questions can call 02-111-1111.

Fresh challenge against True

Total Access Communication (DTAC) and Advanced Info Service (AIS) have jointly sought an investigation by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission into the “irregular” transfer of customers from their networks at a convenience-store chain.

In a statement, the companies did not name True Corp. But Charoen Pokphand Group owns majority stakes in both True Corp and CP All, the operator of more than 8,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand.

Under number portability, all users can switch from one operator to another and keep their existing phone numbers.

DTAC and AIS said in the statement that “a mobile-phone operator” allowed the transfer of customers from other networks to its network at convenience stores, sparking doubts whether such transfers met the rules prescribed by the NBTC.

The petition is “to seek the NBTC’s quick actions in probing this matter. In case of violations, it is urged to take action and levy fines on the violator.”

Last week, True filed a police complaint accusing AIS of blocking customers from switching to True’s network.