Managing director Mohamed Aidnil bin Abdul Razak said the company would instead focus on upgrading its 117 service stations at a cost of Bt500 million to Bt600 million. The company hopes the upgrade will help it maintain its 2.5-per-cent market share and sales revenues of Bt10 billion.

He said due to low marketing margins, the company would focus more on raising revenues from non-oil operations, which now contribute only 10 per cent of total revenues. It will attempt to raise this level to 30-40 per cent.

Village power

The Energy Conservation Fund yesterday approved the expenditure of Bt150 million by the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department for community hydropower development projects in 25 villages.

Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said improvements to small turbines and generators in the villages would generate a total of 1,500 kilowatts of power. The generators will also be linked to the networks of the Provincial Electricity Authority, so that the villages can sell excess electricity.

Twenty of the villages are in Chiang Mai province, two in Mae Hong Son and one each in Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Tourist areas

Star Sanitaryware plans to target the middle market in the near future, following its completion of new designs. It will appoint dealers in targeted provinces, mainly in tourist destination areas, said executive director Somchai Wong-aroon.

Targeted areas include Phuket, Hua Hin and Koh Samui, which are crowded with hotels and resorts.