• 
• 

 Tawatchai Sudtikitpisan, president of the bank, said on Friday that the bank will focus on simple activities and maintain non-performing loans at below 6 per cent - the industry's average. At present, its NPLs stand at 8.56 per cent of total loans, but the level is expected to fall to 8 per cent at the end of this year.

 Kiatnakin expected its 2008 net profit to be Bt2.1 billion this year, but Tawatchai admitted that the target may not be achieved. Its lending target should not grow 30 per cent as expected, but the 22-25 per cent level is achievable, he said.

 He noted that buying loans from other institutions once generated huge benefits to the bank, and the bank could adopt a similar strategy next year with the aim to achieve the growth rate of 0-10 per cent.

 The bank will open 7 more branches next year, to bring the total number to 44, to accommodate more hire-purchase loan extension and deposit mobilisation.