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Tax probes urged for stubborn loan sharks
23 Dec 2016 at 08:53
WRITER: WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI
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Leaflets advertising quick loans are attached to an ATM to lure customers. Authorities are threatening tighter measures to deal with loan sharks. Somchai Boonlour
The Finance Ministry has threatened to launch a probe into backdated tax payments of loan sharks if they refuse to become legalised lenders.
The ministry will start with a warning that loan sharks stop charging interest rates exceeding the legal limit and become legal lenders. If they refuse to comply with the law, the Revenue Department will look into their tax payment history, said Somchai Sujjapongse, permanent secretary for finance.
The government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has tried to uproot loan sharks by widening opportunities for those at the bottom of the economic ladder to access formal financial sources.
The state recently approved the establishment of nanofinance firms, while the Finance Ministry will soon issue licences for those applying to become picofinance lenders.
Two state-controlled banks -- Government Savings Bank and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives -- will lend a combined 50 billion baht for refinancing underground loans and rolling out picofinance.
The Finance Ministry will require picofinance operators to have registered capital of at least 5 million baht, far below the minimum 50 million baht required for nanofinance companies.
Nanofinance operators can lend only for occupational purposes, with a lending maximum of 100,000 baht per borrower and a ceiling interest rate of 36% a year.
Picofinance operators lend for general purposes and are limited to lending 50,000 baht per borrower at a maximum rate of 36% a year.
Mr Somchai said loan sharks can apply for picofinance licences from the ministry if they still want to run lending businesses. Ten picofinance applicants have submitted their requests to the Finance Ministry and four or five are expected to be given licences soon, he said.
To control underground lending, the government amended the law to impose stricter punishments against those who charge annual interest above 15%. Penalties are a maximum of two years in prison and a maximum 200,000 baht fine, up from one year and a 1,000 baht fine.