BANGKOK: Thailand has limited ammunition to address its economic problems, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Friday.
* The government will approve soft loans for the use of solar panels, he told reporters.
* It is considering a car trade-in scheme, Ekniti said, adding the budget for the next fiscal year will cut unnecessary spending.
* Measures to help vulnerable groups will be proposed to a special cabinet meeting on Saturday, Ekniti said.
* The government is planning a borrowing guarantee for an oil subsidy fund, along with other support measures, to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices.
* Central bank Governor Vitai Ratanakorn said on Thursday that the policy rate of 1.00% would be left on hold, despite the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, while growth could slow to 1.3% to 1.7% this year, and inflation could rise to 2.5% to 3.5%, depending on the conflict. - Reuters
