GSB to push for more deposits among youths

BANGKOK, January 10 (TNA) - Thailand's state-run Government Savings Bank (GSB) plans to launch an aggressive business this year by pushing for more deposits among children and youths. GSB President Chatchai Payuhanaveechai on Saturday announced the plan, in which GSB will set up outlets to accept deposit from students inside schools. Chatchai told journalists that 973 schools nationwide have supported the GSB's programme currently but his bank plans to increase the number of schools to 1,100 within this year. Chatchai assessed that GSB’s business this year should grow by 6–7 per cent this year, in line with the expanding Thai economy, projected to grow by 4 per cent in 2015. Currently, GSB has about 30 million accounts with a total deposit of about 1.8 trillion baht, while savings deposit accounts of children and youths stand only about 4.1 million accounts of the total. According to the GSB president, his bank also plans to increase its lending to retail customers. (TNA)