The company plans to produce more than 80 per cent of its car-electronics output from the new facilities once full-scale production gets under way, Pioneer said in a statement yesterday.

In China, Pioneer will establish a new manufacturing company in an export zone in Shanghai to increase production for export. The new company will begin operations in August.

In Thailand, Pioneer Manufacturing (Thailand) is constructing a second plant on its existing site to expand output for products destined for the local market. The plant will start operations in April.

Currency law

The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft currency law giving the central bank greater flexibility in managing its growing foreign reserves.

The Bank of Thailand will be allowed to invest in a wider range of foreign assets such as bonds and other securities issued by international organisations and foreign juristic entities. Currently, the central bank can only invest in mostly sovereign assets.

The draft act must still be approved by the National Legislative Assembly.

GE-Egat MoU

GE Energy yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) to extend the training of personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of power plants, engineers and business development staff.

Under a knowledge-transfer commitment, GE Energy last year provided the training to Egat staff. Under the memorandum, training will be extended to cover independent power producers and small power producers, with one full-day training session planned per month throughout the year.

The curriculum, which was developed in-house by GE Energy, will be delivered primarily by GE Energy's Thai personnel but also from other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with experts flown in as necessary.

Each month, about 100 participants are expected to attend the training sessions, which will centre on power generation, natural-gas turbine, steam turbine and combined-cycle technologies.

Cute Press goal

Cute Press is to increase its sales distribution channels by adding 30 branches to achieve its sales target of Bt1.2 billion this year.

Theeratat Rangsivoraroj, marketing director of the parent company, SSUP Bangkok 1991, yesterday said its brand-building campaign over the past two years had widened its customer base to include young working women.

As a consequence, sales last year exceeded the company's Bt963-million target.

Wider alliance

Japan Airlines (JAL), Malev Hungarian Airlines and Royal Jordanian Airlines will start offering one-world services and benefits from April 1 in the biggest expansion of the global airline alliance since its launch eight years ago.

Five other members of the JAL Group will join oneworld on the same day as affiliates - JALways, Japan Asia Airways, JAL Express, J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air.