A liquidity boost of 25 billion baht: Ekniti supports four state-owned financial institutions in issuing new loans to help SMEs after the Cabinet reduces fund contributions to 0.0625%, aiming to create mechanisms to assist small debtors through the energy price crisis.
On 10 July 2026, the Ministry of Finance announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has continuously introduced measures to aid the public and support businesses amid Thailand's uncertain economic conditions. Risks have increased due to the Middle East conflict raising oil prices, impacting both people's livelihoods and raising business costs.
The Ministry of Finance's assistance measures are not limited to budgetary spending; they include various approaches targeting multiple groups. Recently, liquidity support was provided to four state-owned financial institutions: the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank (GH Bank), and the Islamic Bank of Thailand. This aims to increase their funds and liquidity so they can extend support to borrowers, especially small debtors and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
At the Cabinet meeting on 7 July, approval was given to the Ministry of Finance's proposal to reduce the contribution rate to the Development Fund for State-Owned Financial Institutions. The Ministry will issue a directive for the four institutions to cut their fund contributions from 0.25% to 0.0625% per year based on the amounts received from the public. This reduction applies for the full year of 2026, from 1 January to 31 December.
The Ministry of Finance expects this measure to lead to new loan issuance and inject over 25 billion baht into the economy. The Ministry reported to the Cabinet that this will lower the financial burden on state-owned institutions and allow tangible support to borrowers, aligning with the 2026 economic conditions marked by high volatility due to global trade policies, geopolitical risks, and natural disasters. These factors directly affect vulnerable small debtors and SMEs still struggling to recover and facing liquidity risks.
Reducing the fund contributions will lower costs for state-owned financial institutions, freeing up budgets for debtor assistance programs such as debt relief or new lending. It will also help prevent increased borrowing from informal sources, benefiting the overall economy. This measure has received backing from economic agencies like the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), which noted that it will support new lending to customers of the four institutions and use these funds to drive Thailand’s economic growth forward.