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Thailand’s Fat Cats Lick their Lips over Fresh Era of Privatisation

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Thailand's largest energy firm PTT Pcl appointed a new chairman on Friday as part of the military government's attempts to reshuffle the company and reform the country's state enterprise system.

Thailand’s largest energy firm PTT Pcl appointed a new chairman on Friday as part of the military government’s attempts to reshuffle the company and reform the country’s state enterprise system.

 

BANGKOK – Among the biggest challenges for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is to reform the state enterprises and the energy sector. In the first instance, NCPO chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has appointed a “Super Board” of all the big names of finance and the stock market, such as Banthoon Lamsam, Dr Prasarn Trairatvorakul, Rapee Sucharitkul and Banyong Pongpanit.

The Super Board is tasked with offering the military regime guidelines on how to streamline the operations of state enterprises, improve their efficiency and eventually have them corporatised for stock-market listing. Privatization is back in vogue.

Thailand boasts 56 state enterprises, with combined assets of Bt5 trillion. Korn Chatikavanij told me the other day that during his tenure as finance minister it was very difficult for him as an outsider to intrude on the turf of the state enterprises. Korn added that Dr Somkid Jatusripitak had told him that he also ran into difficulties in handling the state concerns, which had their own way of doing things. It seems that the state enterprises have formed, collectively, a small empire of their own. So how should the Super Board proceed on a blueprint for their overhaul?

There are now two schools of thought on how the state enterprises should be handled. One school believes they should not be in the hands of the politicians but should instead be privatised to improve their efficiency and transparency. As such, politicians would no longer have vested interests. This school of thought appears to contradict what former finance minister Korn and Dr Somkid experienced during their tenures as finance minister.

Another school of thought argues that privatizing the state’s assets amounts to transferring public wealth into private hands. The general public would not benefit from privatization because they do not have money to buy the shares. State assets, after privatization, would thus end up in the hands of well-to-do investors, politicians or foreign investors, all of whom are profit-oriented. The result would be increased income inequality.

Past experience does not bode well for further privatization. Let’s examine the cases surrounding the PTT, Thai Airways, TOT, CAT and Egat. Certain politicians, whose names I do not want to mention, colluded to create a big mess in Thailand’s privatization and non-privatization program. The privatization of PTT, completed under the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, massively enriched the bank accounts of the politicians, management and bureaucrats involved. Did the public benefit from PTT’s privatization? Has PTT improved its transparency, particularly in its dubious overseas investments? Does PTT look after the interests of the Thai people or those of its shareholders?

Is Thai Airways better managed now than before it was privatized? There is no proof to suggest so. The airline faces the same old problems that it had before going public. There are even rumors of deep-seated financial problems.

The TOT (Telephone Organisation of Thailand) and the CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) have been corporatised, ready to go public. But they have not been able to do so. Why? At the same time, private firms AIS, DTAC and TRUE have become major players in the Thai telecom market while their state-owned counterparts have been stripped of their assets or real potential and cursed by an obsession with efficiency. We all know who the big telecom tycoon is. Fortunately, the privatization of Egat has been blocked by the courts, otherwise the telecom tycoon would have both PTT and Egat in his pocket.

It will now be interesting to see how the Super Board advises the military regime on state-enterprise privatization. I guess the aim is to privatize the ones with potential for capital gains after stock-market listing, while the poorly managed ones will be left for the taxpayers to continue to foot the bill. Either way, the public will lose out.

Look at what Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has accomplished with that country’s natural resources. Russia would not have emerged as a superpower had it privatized its energy resources to the extent that the government lost control over state enterprises. Putin has smartly used Russia’s clout in supplying one-third of Western Europe’s natural gas needs as a tool to advance his foreign policy in Ukraine. Elsewhere, Latin American companies from Venezuela to Argentina have been trying to reclaim state assets from predatory foreign companies.

Thailand has abundant natural and energy resources. Yet, strangely enough, General Prayuth has surrounded himself with advisers who believe that Thailand has scant energy resources and that state

enterprises are dinosaurs in a modern economy and should succumb to big money. – Thanong Khanthong

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children

Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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