Loans for LNG tanks for fishing boats

A committee chaired by Minister Somsak Prissanan-anthakul is also set to plot long-term relief plans for fisher-men. The committee will hold its first meeting next Monday.

Pisit Leamsasithorn, a panel member from the National Fisheries Association, said fishermen could not pay for LNG tanks because installation costs about Bt1 million per boat.

AFD gears up for B1.5-bn bond issue

Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), a French state-owned specialist financial institution, has successfully com-pleted book-building for its inaugural baht bond. The Bt1.5-billion three-year bond issue, with a coupon rate of 5.51 per cent, will be offered to institutional investors.

The proceeds will be used for its general business and to foster the development of its official development assistance loan commitments in Thailand. Together with its subsidiary dedicated to the private sector, AFD contributes to the fight against global warming and biodiversity protection, through partnerships with local governments and state-owned or commercial banks.

PTT pushes ahead in Vietnam

PTT has introduced a high-density polyethyleneInnoplus brand to the Vietnamese polymer market.

It has also opened a second international representative office for PTT polymer marketing in the country, set to be a regional distributor and technical support centre for PTT Group's polymers.

PTT also moved yesterday to bolster its leading position in the retail oil business through the launch of its new 'Pump in the Park' service station on Serithai Road (Sukhapiban 2).

Mass-transit condos still lead

The Agency for Real Estate Affairs has said new resi-dential projects launched last month totalled 27 projects or 5,977 units worth Bt20.4 billion.

The main market was still city condominiums located close to mass-transit systems, especially the Skytrain and underground rail. These amounted to 3,176 units or 53 per cent of the total, followed by 1,412 townhouse and 900 detached homes.

Some 2,661 units were priced between Bt2 million and Bt3 million, with another 3,176 priced between Bt3 mil-lion and Bt5 million.

Mperial to buy all of Siam Power

Mperial Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Melewar Steel Engineering, is acquiring the remaining 25-per-cent stake in Siam Power Generation for about 36.16 million ringgit (Bt375 million), Bernama news agency reports.

Mperial earlier acquired 70 per cent of Siam Power.

In a filing to the Malaysian bourse, the company said the additional acquisition was expected to contribute positively to the long-term earnings of the Melewar Industrial Group. Stable cash flows are expected from the project.

Landy boosts home sales by 30%

Home-builder Landy Home recorded sales growth of 30 per cent in the first half of the year. Managing director Pichet Maneeratanaporn attributed this to innovative designs.

He said home-builders now faced high competition and rising construction costs which had caused a number of landowners to delay building homes in the first half.

However, the company's homes were also "reasonably priced" and it sold 100 units, worth nearly Bt400 million in the first half of the year. This was growth of 30 per cent on the same period last year. It expects to sell between 120 and 200 homes in the second half, he said.