Bt500m plant for nano-fibres

Wiwat Tanthapanichakoon, director of the National Nanotechnology Centre, said the output would be forwarded to Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, which will handle fabric production, pattern design, and nano-product manufacturing.

Initially, the centre plans to take over a textile factory, which is cheaper than constructing a new one.

Budget deficit

The Finance Ministry is studying three options for the budget deficit for the fiscal year 2008.

The ministry is planning to propose that the government add up to Bt80 billion of the deficit to the Bt165-billion budget deficit planned earlier.

There are three options:

The first is a budget deficit of 3 per cent of GDP or of Bt270 billion. The mid-year fiscal budget deficit will be Bt105-billion higher.

The second option is a deficit of 2.5 per cent of GDP, or Bt225 billion. The mid-year budget deficit will rise by Bt66 billion.

The third is for a budget deficit of 2 per cent of GDP, or Bt180 billion. In this case, the additional mid-year fiscal budget deficit will go up Bt15 billion. 

Demotion bid

The Finance Ministry will today ask the Cabinet to lower the ranks of three officials in response to the Supreme Administrative Court's order, said permanent secretary Suparut Kawatkul.

Subject to the change are Chornun Petpaisit, director-general of the Excise Department, Boonsak Jiampreecha, inspector-general, and Jantima Sirisaengtaksin, deputy permanent secretary.

On May 2, 2006, the court ordered the ministry to cancel the appointment of a deputy director-general of the Revenue Department on the grounds of unfair practice. The ministry has not yet followed the court order but promoted the three to their current positions. The court recently demanded the ministry follow the verdict.

The Nation