Three electric train auctions set for June — The three are the Orange Line connecting Thailand Cultural Centre with Min Buri, worth 110 billion baht; the Pink Line from Khae Rai to Min Buri, worth 56.6 billion baht; and the Yellow Line from Lat Phrao to Samrong, worth 54.6 billion baht. (Bangkok Post, 3/6/16)
New bankruptcy act authorises rehabilitation of SMEs — FINANCIALLY troubled small and medium-sized enterprises could find easier debt restructuring after the Legal Execution Department (LED) launched a rehabilitation law, while the SME sector recorded its seventh consecutive quarter of growth in the first three months of this year. (The Nation, 7/6/16)
State splurge on energy, digital sectors — The government is set to splurge more trillions of baht on the energy and digital sectors in the coming years to kick-start private investment and maintain growth momentum. (Bangkok Post, 9/6/16)
High-speed rail routes chosen for PPP fast track — Two high-speed rail projects, the 193.5- kilometre Bangkok-Rayong route worth 153 billion baht and the 211km Bangkok-Hua Hin route worth 94.7 billion, are set to be included for fast track consideration in the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. (Bangkok Post, 9/6/16)
Sugary drinks tax looms – The Excise Department expects to decide on whether it will tax beverages with high sugar content within one month, its chief says. (Bangkok Post, 10/06/16)
US created 38,000 jobs in May vs. 162,000 expected — Job creation tumbled in May, with the economy adding just 38,000 positions, casting doubt on hopes for a stronger economic recovery as well as a Fed rate hike this summer. The Labor Department also reported Friday that the headline unemployment fell to 4.7 percent. That rate does not include those who did not actively look for employment during the month or the underemployed who were working part time for economic reasons. A more encompassing rate that includes those groups held steady at 9.7 percent. (CNBC, 6/6/16)
Fed’s Mester says gradual rate hikes still appropriate after jobs report — The latest disappointing U.S. jobs number has not changed the overall economic picture and gradual rate hikes remain appropriate, Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester said on Saturday. “I still believe that in order to achieve our monetary policy goals, a gradual upward pace of the funds rate is appropriate,” Mester, a voting member on Fed policy this year, told reporters in the Swedish capital. (CNBC, 6/6/16)
People’s Bank of China keeps 6.8% GDP view this year, sees CPI higher — The People’s Bank of China on Wednesday reconfirmed its growth forecast of 6.*% for 2016 and revised up its estimates of consumer inflation to 2.4% from 1.7%, citing rising food and property prices as well as the improvement in producer prices, which will ultimately be passed on to consumer prices. (Investing, 8/6/16)
US: Oil Holds Steady As EIA Confirms 3.2M Barrel Draw — Official data released early on Wednesday confirms expectations of a U.S. crude oil inventory draw, with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showing inventories down by over 3.2 million barrels for the week ending 3 June. (Oilprice, 9/6/16)
Japan’s GDP Grows More Than Initial Reading in 1st Quarter — Japan’s economy grew slightly more than the government initially reported for the first quarter, helped by a fractional revision in private consumption and business investment that dropped less than first thought. Gross domestic product expanded by an annualized 1.9 percent in the three months ended March 31, more than a preliminary reading of 1.7 percent, according to revised data from the Cabinet Office released on Wednesday. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a 1.9 percent increase. (Bloomberg, 9/6/16)
