State enterprise spending up

State enterprises’ investment budget disbursement for the five months through May rose 61% from a year earlier, thanks largely to accelerated investment of those with large projects in hand and PTT Group, says the chief of the State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo).

State enterprises took out 132 billion baht worth of investment budget from January to May, said Prapas Kong-Ied, directorgeneral of Sepo.

Mega-infrastructure projects that saw investment budget doled out during the period included the State Railway of Thailand (SRT)’s two double-track rails, one stretching from Jira to Khon Kaen province, the other from Nakhon Pathom to Chumphon; the Orange Line electric train linking Thailand Cultural Centre to Min Buri; the Green Line electric train connecting Mo Chit-Saphan Mai to Khu Khot; and the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA)’s tap water system expansion.

Investment budget disbursement is a driving force for the country’s economic growth, he said.

On a fiscal-year basis, state enterprises drew down 151 billion baht in investment budget for the October-to-May period, representing 113% of the target, said Chanvit Nakburee, deputy director of the Fiscal Policy Office.

Thirty-four state enterprises whose accounting period is based on the fiscal year doled out 62.8 billion baht from October to May, accounting for 90% of the target, while those whose accounting period is based on the financial year disbursed 87.9 billion baht for the five months to May, representing 138% of the target.

For nine state enterprises whose accounting period is based on the fiscal year, the SRT drew down 85% of its target for the five-month period, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (116%), PWA (96%), Airports of Thailand (67%), the National Housing Authority (97%), the Expressway Authority of Thailand (105%), the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (117%), the Port Authority of Thailand (108%) and Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (53%). The other 25 enterprises doled out 60%, on average.

The national oil and gas conglomerate PTT was the best performer among 11 state enterprises with different accounting periods, disbursing 195 billion baht.