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The number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the flooding in 12 Northeastern provinces has reached nearly 231,000, a survey by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) has found.
The agency said that by yesterday, 207,672 of the 230,897 SMEs recorded as having been affected are individuals running their own businesses; 12,827 are community enterprises and 10,398 are corporate SMEs. 
OSMEP’s One-Stop Service Centre is providing emergency loans for flood-affected enterprises in Sakon Nakhon province, with 21 businesses having been lent a total of Bt4 million, said the agency’s director-general, Salinee Wangtarn.
Her agency is also open for micro-SMEs and community enterprises to apply for emergency lending until the end of next month. 
The department will provide interest-free loans of up to Bt200,000 per case to such operators, without the need for applicants to provide collateral, she said. 

TOA SEEKS SHARE LISTING

TOA, a paint and coating producer and distributor, has applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC) to make an initial public offering of its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the company's chief executive, Jatuphat Tangkaravakoon, said at a press conference yesterday.
He said TOA plans to use the funds raised from the IPO to expand its business in Thailand and overseas, including developing and improving operational efficiencies and for working capital.
“We have a vision to be a leader in the paint and coating market in Asean, which will be achieved by offering market-leading products and services,” he said. “We also believe that we will benefit from the Asean Economic Community, which is expected to have high market growth.”
TOA's current registered capital stands at Bt2.029 billion, divided into 2.029 billion shares with a par value of Bt1 each, 1.775 billion of which have been issued and paid for. TOA is seeking to offer up to 507.6 million shares, comprising up to 254 million primary shares and up to 253.6 million secondary shares that are held by an existing shareholder, Wybrant Holding Ltd. This would represent up to 25.02 per cent of the number of TOA's post-IPO issued and paid shares.
Subject to SEC approval of the IPO application and filing, Pichet Sithi-Amnuai, president of Bualuang Securities, a |co-financial adviser, said TOA would likely list this year.

THAI UNION LIFTS SALES

Thai Union Group PCL (Thai Union) has reported a 1.2 per cent increase in sales year on year for the second quarter of this year to Bt34.8 billion, despite what it called significant currency exchange fluctuations. Consolidated net profit was Bt1.41 billion, down 7.6 per cent from the same period last year.
The second quarter gross profit declined 14.5 per cent from a year earlier to Bt4.66 billion, while this-year second quarter’s gross profit margin was 13.4 per cent compared to 15.9 per cent in the same quarter last year.
Higher raw material prices, particularly in the tuna business, along with multiple European currency depreciation, contributed to the weaker margin.
Among Thai Union’s three major businesses, PetCare and value-added second-quarter product sales grew the most at 12.9 per cent year on year to Bt4.5 billion, due to new product launches and improved market penetration. 
For the first half of 2017, Thai Union posted a net profit of Bt2.88 billion, improving 4.4 per cent year on year, with sales totalling of Bt66.24 billion, up 1 per cent from the year before.