State banks join up for loan plans in South
STATE-RUN BANKS are joining forces to help SMEs and people living in the South with loan schemes, aiming to hasten the development of the region’s economy and social structures.
The Government Housing Bank (GHB) has set aside Bt4.7 billion under five special housing loan plans for residents in the three southernmost provinces: Yala; Narathiwat and Pattani, according to the bank release yesterday.
The move came in response to the government’s policy to improve the economy and communities in areas bordering the south of Thailand.
Of the Bt4.7-billion budget, four housing loan schemes: Bt1-billion for state welfare, Bt2.5-billion for economic stimulus, Bt1-billion GHB housing loans in the south and Bt200-million for flat rentals carry the same application deadline of December 28. The fifth one involves loans for the bank’s non-performing assets (NPA) in the South.
Under this scheme, more than 200 second-handed houses in Southern provinces including Songkhla, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattalung, Surat Thani, Phuket, Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani will be available for sales under a special loan campaign.
About 175 people in three utmost southern provinces attended the bank’s school for financial literacy during May 23, 2016-November 23, 2017.
SME Development Bank
On the other front, as of November of this year, SME Development Bank also extended loans worth about Bt15 billion to 12,000 SMEs in 14 southern provinces, aiming to expand its role to strengthen the local economy.
Mongkol Leelatham, president for SME Development Bank, said that Songkhla topped the total loan amount extended at Bt2.8 billion.
Approved loans averaged Bt1-Bt5 million per customer, reflecting the bank’s focus on small operators, he said.
In the three southernmost provinces, loans extended accounted for Bt2.1 billion or about 15 per cent of the total extended in 14 southern provinces, he said.
He said that the bank’s loan activities in the South was going well, due mainly to the right matching of loan types and demand of operators in the areas as well as low lending rates.
The bank followed the government’s policy aiming to have state enterprises to develop local areas in order to strengthen the grassroots economy, he said
