Exim Thailand steps up growth support role

The planned additional offices follow the opening of the bank’s first overseas representative office, in Myanmar, in June, the bank’s president Pisit Serewiwattana said at press conference yesterday. 
He said the bank had been steadfast in promoting the trade and investment expansion of Thai companies in emerging markets such as the so-called CLMV countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. 
“There are ample trade and investment opportunities in the global markets, including emerging markets with which Thai entrepreneurs may not be so familiar,” Pisit said.
“In view of this, Exim Thailand is ready to support Thai entrepreneurs, SMEs in particular, with the extension of revolving funds and risk management tools so that they can compete well to achieve strong and sustainable growth despite the global economic and political uncertainties.”
He said the bank has since early this embarked on the 10-year enterprise plan, to 2027, and on its own organisational transformation, which the bank has called the “Exim transformation journey." 
Major achievements so far, he said, included the formulation of trade and investment strategies, the opening of the representative office in Myanmar and the establishment of a close working relationship with “Team Thailand”.
 The bank also has signed memorandums of understanding with international organisations such as China Exim and Myanma Foreign Trade Bank. In addition, it has enabled the expansion of export credit insurance service for Thai entrepreneurs to help mitigate their risks and promote business stability. 
The bank is launching export credit insurance marketing campaigns in collaboration with business alliances and is developing the first phase of an online export credit insurance system in parallel with enhancing high-potential the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises to become exporters through the Genius Academy programme in conjunction with the Ministry of Industry. 

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These undertakings have highlighted Exim Thailand's commitment and determination to fulfil its vision, Pisit said. “We aim to be a world-class specialised financial institution serving as a key mechanism in driving forward Thailand's international trade and investment strategies," he said.
The bank posted a net profit of Bt668 million in the first half of this year, which represented a year-on-year increase of Bt55 million. At the end of June, the bank recorded outstanding loans of Bt85.39 billion, a Bt12.075 billion year-on-year increase, with a new-loan drawdown of Bt13.932 billion during the year and partial repayment of existing loans. This contributed to business turnover of Bt79.4 billion, up by Bt22.741 billion year on year. 
The bank said it helped boost the competitiveness of entrepreneurs - particularly those engaged in SMEs - in international trade and investment. SME business turnover was Bt50.322 billion, surging Bt11.224 billion from the previous year. Outstanding loans to SMEs amounted to Bt36.369 billion, which represented growth of a Bt6.139 billion, or 20.31 per cent, year on year.

Exim Thailand's non-performing loan ratio at the end of June stood at 3.61 per cent, or Bt3.086 billion, down by Bt658 million year on year. The bank's allowance for doubtful accounts was Bt7.208 billion - Bt3.033 billion of which was the minimum provisioning requirement by the Bank of Thailand. This represented a ratio of loan-loss provision against the requirement of 237.65 per cent, enabling the bank to maintain a strong financial status, the lender said.