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Thailand’s Transport Projects on Fast-Track Under Junta Rule

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BANGKOK – Construction of Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station – a massive railway complex covering 300,000 square meters – is 70% complete, officials claim, with a partial opening scheduled for December 2020.

The station promises to be a major step forward for Thailand’s transport connectivity.

The three-floor complex in Bang Sue district of northern Bangkok will replace Hua Lamphong Station as the capital’s main train hub, providing commuter access to the suburbs, rail connections to the northern, northeastern and southern provinces, with the top floor reserved exclusively for high-speed train services.

“The third floor is featuring 10 platforms for high-speed trains and two for the Airport Rail Link,” said Kumpol Boonchom, Deputy Chief in charge of the Bang Sue project for the State Railway of Thailand (SRT.)

The Bang Sue Grand Station project was launched in 2006 – four Thai governments and two coups ago – but has made steady progress under the army-installed regime of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, whose lengthy four-and-a-half-year plus rule now looks set to wrap up in February 2019, when a long-delayed general election is scheduled.

Coup-installed regimes in Thailand have certain advantages over their elected counterparts, such as less need to consult constituents, top-down decision making and fewer heated debates in Parliament, especially over transport projects, which are usually mired in corruption scandals and delays.

“The Transport Ministry is a big piece of cake, politically, because it accounts for a lot of the budget,” said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith. Arkhom, the former head of the National Economic and Social Development Board, or the national planning agency, who was appointed Deputy Transport Minister in 2014 and became minister in 2015.

Looking back at his term, Arkhom told Asia Times his main achievement had been “continuity.” “I have always said that Thailand has been lacking in infrastructure for a long time. The last mega-project we had was Suvarnabhumi Airport,” Arkhom said.

During Arkhom’s time, Bangkok has seen the steady expansion of its mass transit system, with extensions of the Skytrain’s Green Line and the subway’s Blue Line completed and the Purple Line opened, although these projects were started under previous governments.

The current regime can claim some credit for pushing through the Yellow Line in southeast Bangkok and the Pink Line in north Bangkok, under a fast-tracked Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Bangkok’s Skytrain has been steadily expanding. Photo: AFP/Bangkok Post/Apichart Jinakul

“What this government has accomplished is an acceleration of the process,” said Sumet Ongkittikul, Research Director for transportation and logistics policy at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI,) a private think tank. “For example, the Pink Line and Yellow Line, if they were pushed through under an elected government, they would take one to two years longer to start construction,” he said.

Arkhom has also accelerated the stalled construction of three motorways linking Bangkok to northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima, Rayong on the eastern coast and Kanchanaburi.

“Under elected governments, the road budget was allocated to every MP. There were piecemeal projects, but I think we could do more on the big projects,” the transport minister said.

Prayut’s main mega-project, the $43 billion Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), was kicked off a bit late in his rule in mid-2017, but Parliament and the Cabinet have been working overtime to push the ambitious scheme through before the next election.

In May, a special EEC Act was passed, effectively setting up the legislative framework for the scheme to operate under, granting it special status in such sensitive areas as hiring foreign experts and allowing majority foreign ownership in industrial estates and infrastructure projects.

The EEC seeks to attract high-tech, added-value industries to Thailand’s east coast in Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong provinces, but to do so it needs to upgrade the infrastructure in the region, which already ranks among the kingdom’s best-developed.

This was thanks to the successful implementation of the Eastern Seaboard mega-project in the same area two decades ago, which involved building new highways, industrial estates, two deep sea ports and a massive petrochemical complex.

The regime has fast-tracked US$20 billion worth of EEC-related infrastructure schemes including the upgrading of the U-Tapao International Airport, expansions of Mab Ta Phut and Laem Chabang deep-sea ports and a high-speed train linking U-Tapao Airport to Bangkok’s two international airports – Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.

The largest item, the $6.9 billion, 220 km high-speed train link, tops the government’s “to do” list.

The Terms of Reference (TOR) were issued on June 18 and snapped up by 31 interested bidders, including four Japanese and seven Chinese consortiums, two from France, two from Malaysia, one from Korea and the remainder from Thailand, including local conglomerates Charoen Pokphand and BTS Group Holdings, the operator of Bangkok’s Skytrain.

They need to turn their bids in by November 12 and the government hopes to announce the winner by February at the latest.

“It is scheduled before the election date,” Arkhom said. “We have to follow the schedule because it has already been announced and 31 international companies already bought the documents.”

There are fears that if the announcement of the winner is delayed till after the election, a new government will call for a review of the project and things will be postponed for years.

The outcome of the EEC rail link bid is being closely watched by the governments of Japan and China, which are both backing separate high-speed rail projects in Thailand worth billions of dollars and added-value in terms of geo-political influence in the kingdom and mainland Southeast Asia.

The project’s contractor will have technical repercussions for two other high-speed train projects in the works – the Thai-China high-speed train linking Bangkok and Nong Khai, on the Thai-Laos border, which then goes on to Vientiane, Laos, and Kunming, China, and the Japan-backed high-speed train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Chinese and Japanese high-speed train systems employ different “signaling” technology, although both systems were modified from the original European system.

“If it is a Chinese system, maybe we can make use of it for the two projects [EEC and Thai-China high speed links] and the remainder [Bangkok-Chiang Mai] will be Japanese,” SRT’s Kumpol said. “If the EEC goes to a Japanese contractor, the northern line will also make use of the Japanese system.”

The Transport Ministry has seemingly washed its hands of the important decision for Thailand’s railways future.

“It depends on the bidding outcome,” Arkhom said. “The SRT takes care of the bidding process.”

Arkhom has reportedly been under pressure from Beijing to move more quickly on the high-speed train link between Bangkok and Nong Khai, which is a crucial aspect of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

While the $6 billion Laos-China medium-speed rail link between Kunming and Vientiane is expected to be ready for business by 2020, Thailand has yet to complete even a 3.5 kilometer “test track” for the first phase of its project, which is a 253 kilometer high-speed connection between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima.

But Arkhom claims his administration has achieved more on pushing the railway forward than the previous government.

“Under the previous government, the China-Thai railway didn’t move forward because the Chinese wanted everything, just like in Laos,” Arkhom said. “They wanted the right to use the land, the right to develop the station and to import the labor, but what we started with was – this is Thailand so we will do our part.”

Thailand has assumed all financial responsibility for the project and will handle the construction side, but will eventually sign a contract with China purchase the rolling stock and operation equipment.

“I think it is beyond the pressure [point] because everything has been settled,” Arkhom claimed. “As time goes by, they have relaxed,” he said of the Chinese, down-playing the rail rivalry between to two East Asian powerhouses Japan and China.

Arkhom indicated that the two rivals might even cooperate on the EEC rail scheme. “Now they are working together, China and Japan know each other’s weaknesses,” the minister said.

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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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Infosys

(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

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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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