WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI
Rehabilitation plan remains on track
The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank) expects a net profit of 2 billion baht this year after earnings reached 718 million baht in the first four months.
The state-backed bank recorded a net profit of 181 million baht in April alone, said chairwoman Salinee Wangtal.
The bank had suffered a massive net loss of 4.03 billion baht in 2012 before rallying back to net profits of 396 million in 2013, 176 million in 2014 and 1.24 billion last year.
SME Bank is pushing to lower its nonperforming loans (NPLs) to 18 billion baht or 18% of outstanding loans, as required by the State Enterprise Policy Commission or superboard.
Bad loans at the end of April amounted to 20.9 billion baht, representing 23.6% of outstanding loans, down from 23.5 billion or 26.2% at the end of January. The lower NPLs could be attributed to the bank's efficient loan-monitoring system, she said.
SME Bank is among seven state enterprises currently under rehabilitation. The others are Thai Airways International, the State Railway of Thailand, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, TOT Plc, CAT Telecom and the Islamic Bank of Thailand.
To exit from the superboard's list of lossmaking enterprises, the bank must keep the percentage of new loans turning sour at less than 5%.
The bank aims for lending growth of 35 billion baht this year, with 12 billion having been doled out in the January-to-April period, said Ms Salinee. She added that loan growth is on track to hit that target.
The bank also plans to allocate up to 30% of its profits to SME development, with an estimated 400 million baht slated for 2016.
President Mongkol Leelatham said it plans to divest itself of 2.5 billion baht worth of bad loans this year as part of efforts to reduce its NPLs.
SME Bank will discuss debt restructuring plans with businesses and claim credit guarantees from the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation as a means of lowering its NPLs, he said.
Caption
SME Bank president Mongkol Leelatham at the One SME One Account fair last week. The bank is seeking to reduce NPLs after healthy profits so far in 2016.