Thailand approves $2.8 bln soft loan scheme for commercial banks
Adds loan details in paragraph 5
BANGKOK, July 16 (Reuters) -Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday approved a 100 billion-baht ($2.8 billion) soft loan scheme where funds would be lent to commercial banks so they could on-lend to borrowers at below-market rates, a deputy finance minister said.
The programme is aimed at helping smaller businesses obtain loans, Paopoom Rojanasakul told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
The state-owned Government Savings Bank will offer liquidity to commercial banks through loans at an interest rate of 0.01% so they can lend to small businesses at a rate of no more than 3.5% per year, he said.
Retail lending rates among Thai banks are currently more than 7%.
The programme will be offered for a period of two years to smaller firms that can apply for loans until the end of 2025, the government said in a statement.
"This will inject capital into the system," said Paopoom, adding the measures drew from the state bank's bottom line and not the budget.
The government has said the scheme is a response to tightened lending by banks amid a slow economic recovery and rising bad debt.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has promised additional measures next week, including support for high electricity prices, as he looks to spark growth in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
In April, Thai banks said they would cut lending rates by 25 basis points for vulnerable groups for a period of six months, in response to a request from the prime minister.
Srettha has repeatedly pressed the central bank to cut rates to help the economy. Despite the pressure, the central bank held its key interest rate THCBIR=ECI steady at 2.50% for a fourth straight meeting last month.
The central bank expects the economy to grow 2.6% this year, after growth of 1.9% last year which lagged regional peers.
($1 = 36.22 baht)
Reporting by Orathai Sriring, Kitiphong Thaichareon; Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by John Mair
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
