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Published on February 13, 2008

It has been expected to rise 5.28 satang per unit.

Poonpirom said the stronger baht would help, as each baht increase against the US dollar would lower the FT 3 satang per unit. So would the increase in natural-gas supplies for power generation from the South in April, when electricity demand peaks.

Steel price rise

The Internal Trade Department's steel committee yesterday approved a recommendation to raise the steel-rod price Bt1.50 per kilogram in the first half of this month, following soaring prices in the world steel market.

However, the recommendation for steel sheet will not be approved until the second half of the month, in order to keep construction-material costs down. The steel-sheet price is also expected to Bt1.50 per kilogram.

The Commerce Ministry reported the Construction Price Index jumped sharply last month, 12.6 per cent year on year, mainly on higher steel prices.

Steel rods are selling now for US$750 (Bt24,700) per tonne, up from between $610 and $670 a tonne last December.

CP scheme

CP All yesterday signed an education agreement with a private vocational-school association that will serve its retail expansion.

Company managing director Piyawat Titasattavorakul said the programme would concentrate on Mathayom 3 students who wanted to go on to vocational school. They will have to major in retail management.

The company's support comes in the form of teleconferencing real-time operations at its 7-Eleven convenience stores. Ten schools in Lop Buri, Chon Buri, Phitsanulok, Chiang Mai, Roi Et, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket provinces will join the pilot project. 

 The Nation