"The bank can operate comfortably until the middle of this year. I told it to study [the plan] clearly. If the plan is good, the Finance Ministry will exercise its rights. If it has profit, we will do so. However, nothing is clear at the moment," he said.

Earlier, it was reported that TMB Bank will raise Bt35 billion in additional capital.

The bank's share price closed yesterday at an historic low of Bt1.88, representing a fall of almost 10 per cent. - The Nation.

Parts tariff cut

Finance Ministry spokesman Somchai Sujjapongse said yesterday the Fiscal Policy Office has recommended a tariff cut on auto parts.

According to a source, the tariff cuts will cover about 100 items. The tariff rate will fall from the present rate of 1-30 percent to between 0 and 15 per cent.

Tariffs on raw materials for auto parts and parts that local manufacturers cannot make will be cut to zero.

Rates for auto parts that Thai manufacturers can produce will be cut to 5-15 per cent. - The Nation.

PAT shows profit

The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) expects to post a net profit of Bt1.53 billion this year, up from Bt1.39 billion last year.

PAT's director Sunida Skulratana said cargo volume at Bangkok Port rose 8 per cent last year while that at Laem Chabang port remained static.

Cargo volume at the two ports was 1.45 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 4.10 TEUs, respectively.

This year, PAT expects the volume to rise to 1.51 million TEUs and 4.31 million TEUs, respectively, forcing the authority to invest in more facilities.

In response to growth in shipments, Sunida wants to lift the capacity limit on Bangkok Port, which was imposed to reduce traffic problems. - The Nation.

Chicken appeal

The Broiler Association has urged the government to subsidise chicken prices after suffering from price dumping by exporters.

In a letter to the Internal Trade Department, the association asked for assistance and for the creation of a fair marketing mechanism.

Association president Veeraphong Panchavathanakul said farmers were facing huge losses due to oversupply problems. Some exporters who have never traded on the domestic market are dumping their products locally.

The cost of producing chicken meat is Bt29 a kilogram, but chicken is currently trading at Bt25 per kg. Association members have been forced to compete with the exporters by reducing their price to Bt20 per kg, but the exporters have responded by lowering their prices to Bt18 per kg. - The Nation.

Soft-drink push

Japanese soft-drink companies are accelerating their advances in Southeast Asia.

Calpis is looking at the Vietnamese market for canned coffee after starting with Indonesia and Thailand.

Suntory is launching a soft drink in the region for the first time. It will introduce its hallmark Boss canned-coffee brand in Singapore and Malaysia but is adapting the contents and packaging design to suit local preferences.

Suntory is also studying manufacturing beverages in Thailand for the local market. - The Nation.