The Ministry of Commerce said 6,728 companies registered in March, -1%YoY. In 1Q18, total new companies are above 20,000, +7%. This is expected to be better due to economic recovery.

TOR of Bongkoyt-Erawan gas auction to be sent to the EPPO for approval. It will add special points if more than 80% of employees are Thai.

NBTC can continue to work despite NLA rejection of all board candidates. THE NATIONAL Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) has been allowed to continue its work and consider any key pending matters – including spectrum auction and spectrum reclamation – despite the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) rejecting all 14 NBTC final candidates for the seven-member body on Thursday. NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith yesterday said the current board will consider at its meeting next Wednesday if it should go ahead with the auction of the 1800MHz and 900MHz licences as planned. It will also consider the draft rules to compensate the state spectrum holders if the NBTC reclaims their spectra and puts them up for auction.

Thai March exports rise 7.06 pct y/y, slightly below forecast. Thailand’s customs-cleared annual exports increased at a slower pace in March compared with the previous month, due partly to a high comparative base last year, and the growth was slightly below forecast. Exports, a key driver of Thailand’s growth, rose 7.06 percent in March from a year earlier after increasing 10.3 percent in February, but the March value was a record high, commerce ministry data showed on Monday.

5 firms pick up bid papers. Energy policymakers have announced crucial criteria for the upcoming auctions of the Erawan and Bongkot gas blocks, which will be focused on gas price offered to PTT and benefits shared with the state. On Monday, the National Energy Policy Council, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, acknowledged the terms of reference for the auction of the two blocks, Erawan (G 1/61) and Bongkot (G 2/61). (Bangkok Post, 27/4/18

Three measures to help digital TV firms. The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has agreed in principle on three measures to help cash-strapped digital-TV operators but has yet to make a final decision. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Tuesday related agencies would review the measures before a Section 44 order is drafted. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Tuesday related agencies would review the measures before a Section 44 order is drafted. (Bangkok Post, 25/4/18)

‘Gradual’ pace of rate hikes likely to hold for years, Fed’s Williams says. A sea change in economic conditions has pushed interest rates considerably lower than they were in the past and are likely to stay there for a while, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said Friday. While Williams did not give a specific forecast for rates ahead, he said the pace is likely to continue to be gradual. He spoke specifically about the so-called neutral rate, which is neither restrictive nor stimulative. (CNBC, 20/4/18)

U.S. oil stocks build unexpectedly despite record high exports -EIA. U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories unexpectedly rose last week even as exports hit record highs, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday in an overall bearish report that raised some concerns about oversupply. Crude inventories rose 2.2 million barrels in the week to April 20, compared with expectations for a decrease of 2 million barrels. Gasoline stocks grew by 840,000 barrels, versus forecasts in a Reuters poll for a 625,000-barrel drop. (Reuters, 26/4/18

European Central Bank holds rates steady and reaffirms ultra-easy monetary policy. The European Central Bank (ECB) held interest rates steady on Thursday, amid signs the euro area’s growth outlook may have softened. The ECB’s interest rate on its main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at zero, 0.25 and -0.40 percent respectively. Speaking from Frankfurt, ECB President Mario Draghi said “underlying strength” in the euro zone’s economy continued to underpin the bank’s confidence despite signs of “moderation” in recent weeks. (CNBC, 27/4/18)

US sales of new homes shot up 4 percent in March. Sales of new U.S. homes jumped 4 percent in March, propelled by a surge of buying in the West. The Commerce Department says sales last month were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 694,000. The two prior months had their sales revised upward with the annual rate being 667,000 in February and 644,000 in January. For the first three months of the year, sales are running 10.3 per cent higher than a year ago. (CNBC, 25/4/18)