SME Bank offers loans to former prisoners

BANGKOK, September 22 (TNA) - In a bid to assist ex-prisoners to turn over a new leaf, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank) has offered interest-free loans to them at a maximum of 50,000 baht each so that they can stand on their own feet. SME Bank Chairperson Salinee Wangtal told journalists on Tuesday that her bank has co-signed an agreement with the Justice Ministry’s Probation Department and the Christian Prison Ministry Foundation in extending the loans to ex-inmates. Under the agreement, Salinee said, her bank will also provide an occupational training and explore market opportunities to the former prisoners. According to the SME Bank executive, her bank began the programme on September 22 by offering loans, amounting 381,000 baht, to 10 borrowers who want to open shops selling food, dessert and motorcycle repairing service and the borrowers will repay within two years. The SME Bank top executive revealed that some 27,000 former prisoners have applied for the financial support programme so far. (TNA)