Translation
BANK FOR
AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES ACT,
B.E. 2509 (1966)1
______________
BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ, REX;
Given on the 13th Day of July B.E. 2509;
Being the 21st Year of the Present Reign.
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is graciously pleased to
proclaim that:
Whereas it is expedient to establish the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives in order to provide financial assistance
to farmers,
farmers' groups or agricultural cooperatives;
Be it, therefore, enacted by the King, by and with the advice and
consent of the Constituent Assembly in the capacity of the National
Assembly
as follows:
Section 1.
This Act is called the "Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives Act, B.E. 2509".
Section 2.
This Act shall come into force as from the day
following the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.2
Section 3.
In this Act:
"Bank" means the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives;
"Board" means the Board of Directors of the Bank for Agriculture
and Agricultural Cooperatives;
"Director" means the Director of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives;
"Manager" means the Manager of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives;
____________________________
1 As last amended by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives Act
(No.3), B.E.2525 (1982).
2 Published in the Government Gazette Vol. 83, Part 62,
Special Issue, dated 20th July
B.E. 2509 (1966).
"farmer"3 means a person engaging in rice farming, crop farming,
vegetable farming, animal-husbandry, fishery, sericulture, salt farming,
orchid
or flowering plant farming, pine farming, forestry, apiculture, lac
cultivation,
mushroom growing or other agricultural occupations designated by the
Board
and published in the Government Gazette, and also includes a farmer
under the
law on agricultural land reform;
"farmers' group" means a group of farmers recognised by law as a
juristic person and having the objective to conduct business for the
benefit of
their occupation;
"agricultural cooperative" means a cooperative of only farmers as
members registered under the law on cooperatives and includes such
cooperatives uniting together as a federation of cooperatives under
the law on
cooperatives;
"Minister" means the Minister having charge and control of the
execution of this Act.
Section 4.4
The Minister of Finance sha1l have charge and
control of the execution of this Act and shall have the power to issue
Ministerial
Regulations for the execution of this Act.
Such Ministerial Regulations shall come into force upon their
publication in the Government Gazette.
CHAPTER I
Establishment
_______________
Section 5.
There shall be established a bank called the "Bank
for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives" and this Bank shall
be a juristic
person.
Section 6.
The Bank shall have its head office in Changvat
Phra Nakhon and may establish a branch office or agent anywhere within
the
Kingdom in order to conduct the business of the Bank.
Section 7.5
The share capital of the Bank shall be fixed at four
thousand million Baht, divided into forty million shares valued at
one hundred
______________________________
3As amended by section 3 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 4), B.E. 2535 (1992).
4As amended by section 4 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 3), B.E. 2525 (1982).
5As amended by section 3 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 2), B.E. 2519 (1976).
Baht per share to be sold by the Bank to the Ministry of Finance, farmers,
farmers' groups, agricultural cooperatives, financial institutions
or other
persons as prescribed in the regulations of the Bank, provided that
the aggregate
amount of shares held by the financial institutions or other persons
shall not
exceed ten percent of the paid-up share capital.
In the initial period, the shares of the Bank shall consist of:
(1) shares held by the Ministry of Finance and the cooperatives
under section 5 paragraph two of the Act Repealing the Bank for Cooperatives
Act B.E. 2486, B.E. 2509 (1966);
(2) two hundred thousand shares purchased by the Ministry of
Finance in the initial period.
The Ministry of Finance shall purchase additional shares from
time to time as prescribed by the Council of Ministers.
Section 7 bis.6
In the case where it is necessary for the Bank
to increase its share capital, it shall from time to time make a request
therefor to
the Council of Ministers for approval.
The provisions of section 7 paragraph one shall apply mutatis
mutandis to the fixing of the value and sale of shares for increasing
the share
capital under paragraph one.
Section 8.
The liability of shareholders shall be limited to the
par value of shares held by them.
CHAPTER II
Objectives
_______________
Section 9.7
The Bank shall have the objectives of providing
financial assistance in order to promote the occupations or work management
of
farmers, farmers' groups or agricultural cooperatives as well as to
promote
farmers, farmers, groups or agricultural cooperatives to engage in
other
occupations related to agriculture in order to increase their household
income.
______________________________
6Added by section 4 of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives Act
(No. 4), B.E. 2535 (1992).
7As amended by section5,ibid.
Section 10.8
The Bank shall have the power to carry out the
activities within the scope of the objectives under section 9, which
shall include
the power:
(1) to extend loans to farmers, farmersí groups or agricultural
cooperatives;
(2) to guarantee loans raised by the persons mentioned in (1) from
such other financial institutions as prescribed in the regulations
of the Bank;
(3) to acquire capital in order to carry out the business of the
Bank;
(4) to procure or hold ownership or real rights, possess, hire or let,
buy or sell by hire-purchase, transfer or accept transfer of leases
or rights under
a hire purchase agreement, mortgage or accept mortgage, pledge or accept
pledge, sell or dispose in any manner of movable or immovable properties;
(5) to accept on-call or fixed deposits;
(6)9 to extend loans to depositors or, with the consent of the
depositor, to any person within the amount of deposits using the deposit
as
security, as well as to issue letter of guarantee for the depositor
or such person
in the amount not exceeding the deposit;
The provisions of paragraph one shall not apply to a depositor
who is a commercial bank under the law on commercial banks;
(7) to issue, purchase or sell bills or any other negotiable
instruments as well as collect the money due under such bills or negotiable
instruments;
(8) to open a deposit account with other banks as may be
necessary for carrying out the business of the Bank;
(9) to purchase Government securities such as bonds or treasury
notes as the Board thinks fit;
(10) to collect interest on loans, fees in relation to granting or
guaranteeing loans and other service charges;
(11)10 to act as agent of Government agencies or State enterprises
in order to collect installments of land prices, compensation of investment,
service charges, fees or other money from any person as entrusted by
them, or
_______________________________
8As amended by section 5 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural
Cooperatives Act (No. 3), B.E. 2525 (1982).
9As amended by section 6 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 4), B.E. 2535 (1992).
10As amended by section 7< ibid.
to act as agent of other persons for such purposes in compliance with
the
regulations of the Bank;
(12) to provide reasonable aids to the present or former Manager,
officers or employees of the Bank and their families;
(13) to carry out other activities relating to or in connection with
the achievement of the objectives of the Bank.
Section 11.
The Bank shall not:
(1) grant loans to a Director or Manager or his wife or husband;
(2) accept shares of the Bank as security for loans;
(3) pay money or give property other than the salaries and other
money payable under section 20 and section 30 and under the regulations
of the
Bank issued under section 18(6) and (8) to the Director, Manager, officer
or
employee of the Bank as broker fee or remuneration for or in connection
with
any act or business of the Bank;
(4)11purchase or have immovable property, except
(a) for appropriate use as places of business, or by manager,
officers and employees of the Bank;
(b) that it is acquired by the performance of obligations, or by
the guarantee of the principal amount of loans, or by the purchase
of immovable
property mortgaged to the Bank from the sale by public auction ordered
by the
Court.
All immovable properties which become properties of the Bank as
a result of the performance of obligations, the guarantee of the principal
amount
of loans, or the purchase of immovable property mortgaged to the Bank
from
the sale by public auction ordered by the Court shall be disposed of
within nine
years after such immovable properties had become the properties of
the Bank or
within a longer period as permitted by the Minister, unless the Minister
permits
them to be used as places of business, or by manager, officers or employees
of
the Bank.
The disposal of such immovable properties under the preceding
paragraph shall be by public auction or by any other means as the Board
thinks
fit with the approval of the Council of Ministers.
______________________________
11As amended by section 6 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No.3), B.E. 2525 (1982).
CHAPTER III
Supervision, Control and Management
_______________
Section 12.
The Minister shall have the power and duty to
exercise general supervision of the activities of the Bank. For this
purpose, he
has the power to order the Bank to give statements of fact and opinion,
or to
submit reports on the activities of the Bank, and the power to appoint
a person
to inspect and report on the activities and properties of the Bank.
But, in
whichever case, the Minister shall not order an inspection or report
for
information on the activities or properties of any particular person
as disclosed
or apparent to the Bank.
After the Minister has received the report from the inspector, if he
is of the opinion that the business carried out by the Bank is contrary
to a
resolution of the Council of Ministers or is of such nature as to have
a serious
adverse effect to the Bank or public interest, the Minister has the
power to stop
or order correction to be made in the business of the Bank.
Section 13.
In the case where the Bank is required to submit any
matter to the Council of Ministers pursuant to this Act, the Board
shall submit it
through the Minister.
Section 14.12
There shall be a Board of the Bank for Agriculture
and Agricultural Cooperatives consisting of the Minister of Finance
as
Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and not more than eight other Directors appointed
by the Council of Ministers, and the Manager shall be a Director and
the
Secretary.
The Directors appointed by the Council of Ministers shall at least
include a representative of the Office of the Prime Minister, a representative
of
the Ministry of Finance, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture
and
Cooperatives, a representative of the Cooperatives Promotion Department,
a
representative of the Agricultural Land Reform Office, a representative
of the
Bank of Thailand and a representative of the shareholders being agricultural
cooperatives.
The Vice-Chairman or Directors appointed by the Council of
Ministers shall hold office for a term of three years, and the outgoing
Vice-
Chairman or Director may be re-appointed .
Section 15. A parson under any of the following prohibitions
shall not become Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Director;
________________________________
12As amended by section 7, ibid.
(1) being an officer or employee of the Bank;
(2) being or having been a bankrupt;
(3) being imprisoned by a final judgment to a term of
imprisonment, except for an offence committed through negligence or
petty
offence;.
(4) being an incompetent or quasi-incompetent person.
Section 16.13 Apart from vacating office at the expiration
of the
term under section 14, the Vice-Chairman and Directors appointed by
the
Council of Ministers vacate office upon;
(1) death;
(2) resignation;
(3) being under any prohibition under section 15.
When the Vice-Chairman or Director appointed by the Council of
Ministers vacates office before the expiration of his term, the Council
of
Ministers may appoint another person to replace him, and the appointee
shall
hold office for the remaining term of the person he replaces.
Section 17.
At a meeting of the Board, the presence of not less
than one-half of the total number of Directors is required to constitute
a
quorum. If the Chairman is not present at any meeting, the Vice-Chairman
shall
preside over the meeting, if the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are not
present at
the meeting, the Directors present shall elect one among themselves
to preside
over the meeting.
Subject to section 21 (4), the resolution of the meeting of the
Board shall be by a majority of votes. Each Director shall have one
vote in case
of an equality of votes, the person presiding over the meeting shall
have an
additional vote as the casting vote.
Section 18.
The Board shall have the power and duty to lay
down policies and to supervise generally the activities of the Bank,
which shall
include:
(1) issuing regulations on the shares of the Bank,
(2) issuing regulations on the guarantees of loans under section 10
(2);
__________________________________
13As amended by section 6 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 2), B.E. 2519 (1976)
(3) issuing regulations on delegation of power of the Manager to
officers of the Bank under section 23;
(4) issuing regulations on granting of loans to farmers, farmers'
groups or agricultural cooperatives under section 31;
(5) issuing regulations on sale or discount of bills to various
financial institutions under section 33;
(6) issuing regulations prescribing the number of positions,
salaries, wages, transportation expenses, per diem allowances, accommodation
allowances, entertainment allowances and other remuneration for officers
and
employees of the Bank;
(7) issuing regulations on recruitment, appointment, requirement
of guarantee, increase of salaries, removal from office, disciplinary
investigation and punishment of officers and employees of the Bank;
(8) issuing regulations on aids for the present or former Manager,
officers, employees, and their families;
(9) establishing a branch office or agent of the Bank;
(10) issuing regulations on other activities of the Bank.
Section 19.
The Board shall have the power to appoint a sub-
committee to consider various matters as entrusted by the Board.
Section 20.
The Bank shall have a Manager.
The Manager must be of Thai nationality and is not under any
prohibition under section 15, possess adequate knowledge or experience
in
banking, economics, agriculture, cooperatives or law and can devote
full time to
the Bank.
The Board shall appoint a Manager and determine his salary scale
with the approval of the Minister.
The Manager shall receive the salaries, transportation expenses,
per diem, accommodation allowances, entertainment allowances or other
remuneration as prescribed by the Board.
Section 21.
The Manager vacates office upon:
(1) death;
(2) resignation;
(3) loss of Thai nationality or being under any prohibition under
section 15; or
(4) being removed by the Board on the ground of inefficiency,
neglect of duty, tarnished record or dishonesty in the performance
of duties. A
resolution removing the Manage must be made by votes of not less than
three-
fourths of the total number of Directors excluding the Manager.
The removal of the Manager under (4) shall require an approval
of the Minister.
Section 22.
The Manager has the duty to administer the
activities of the Bank in accordance with the policies and regulations
of the
Bank, and is the superior official of all the officers and employees
of the Bank.
The Manager must be responsible to the Board for the
administration of the activities of the Bank.
Section 23.
In respect of external relations, the Manager shall
act as representative of the Bank. For this purpose, the Manager may
delegate
the power to any officer of the Bank to execute any work on his behalf,
subject
to the regulations of the Bank.
Section 24.
The Manager has the power
(1) to recruit, appoint, promote, or increase the salaries of, impose
disciplinary punishment on, or remove an officer or employee of the
Bank,
subject to the regulations of the Bank; but if such officer is of the
rank of
Deputy Manager, adviser, chief of a department or its equivalent, a
prior
approval must be obtained from the Board;
(2) to prescribe rules governing the business carried out by the
Bank and execution of works of the officers and employees of the Bank,
in so
far as they are not contrary to or inconsistent with the policies or
regulations of
the Bank.
Section 25.
When the office of Manager becomes vacant or the
Manager is unable to perform his duties from time to time, the Deputy
Manager
shall become Acting Manager or act on his behalf. But if there is no
Deputy
Manager or the Deputy Manager is unable to perform his duties, the
Board shall
appoint an officer of the Bank Acting Manager or to act on his behalf,
as the
case may be.
The Acting Manager or person acting on behalf of the Manager
shall have the same power and duty as those of the Manager.
Section 26.
The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Directors shall
receive remuneration as prescribed by the Council of Ministers.
The Chairman Vice-Chairman, Directors, Managers, officers and
employees may receive bonuses in accordance with the rules prescribed
by the
Council of Ministers.
The removal of the Manager under (4) shall require an approval
of the Minister.
CHAPTER IV
General Meeting
_______________
Section 27.14 An ordinary general meeting
of shareholders
shall be held once a year within one hundred and fifty days after
the end of each accounting year for the following activities;
(1) to consider and approve the balance-sheet and profit and loss
account;
(2) to consider and approve the appropriation of annual net profit
of the Bank as submitted by the Board;
(3) to consider the annual report of the Bank;
(4) to consider and appoint the auditor for the year;
(5) to consider other matters.
Section 28.
The Board may call an extraordinary general
meeting of shareholders whenever it thinks fit.
Section 29.
The presence of not less than twenty shareholders or
their proxies representing not less than one-fourth of the number of
the issued
shares is required to constitute a quorum of an ordinary general meeting
and
extraordinary general meeting.
Section 30.
The provisions of the Civil and Commercial Code
on general meeting of shareholders of a limited company with respect
to the
rules of meeting, voting and right to vote shall apply mutatismutandis
to the
general meeting of shareholders.
CHAPTER V
Granting of Loans
_______________
Section 31.
The granting of loans by the Bank to farmers,
farmers' groups or agricultural cooperatives shall be in accordance
with the
regulations of the Bank. In such regulations, there shall be prescribed
the types
of borrowers, purposes of loans, periods of repayment, maximum amounts
of
loans, requirement or waiver of securities for loans, rates of interest
on loans,
repayment of principal and other relevant matters.
________________________________
14As amended by section 8 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 3), B.E. 2525 (1982)
Section 32.
The borrower shall not transfer, mortgage or pledge
the movable or immovable property which the borrower acquired by using
a
loan from the Bank and the loan document shall contain a stipulation
prohibiting the transfer, mortgage or pledge, unless a written permission
is
obtained from the Bank.
CHAPTER VI
Acquisition of Capital
_______________
Section 33.15
In the acquisition of capital for its business, the
Bank shall have the power:
(1) to raise loans as the Board thinks fit;
(2) to issue bonds or any other instruments for the purpose of
investment;
(3) to sell or discount bills to various financial institutions in
accordance with the regulations of the Bank;
(4) to receive financial aids from the Government or other
persons.
Section 34.
The total amount of debts of the Bank under section
33 (1) and (2) shall not exceed twenty times the sum of its paid-up
capital,
reserves and accumulated profits.
In calculating the amount of debts under the provisions of the
preceding paragraph, if the debt is in foreign currency, it shall be
calculated in
Thai currency using the par value of such currency on the effective
date of the
loan agreement.
Section 34 bis.16 There shall be established
in the Bank a Fund
called the "Land Fund" in order to provide assistance in the form of
loans to
farmers for acquiring agricultural land, making land development and
engaging
in agricultural occupations in accordance with the law on agricultural
land
reform. The Land Fund shall consist of the money obtained from the
Agriculture Fund established under the Rule of the Office of the Prime
Minister
on Agriculture Fund which is deposited with the Bank by the Ministry
of
_______________________________
15As amended by section 8 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 2), B.E. 2519 (1976).
16Added by section 8 of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives Act
(No. 4), B.E. 2535 (1992).
Agriculture and Cooperatives, the operating incomes and the money from
other
sources.
The money from the Land Fund shall be used for achieving the
objectives under paragraph one and for financing its management expenditure
in accordance with the rules, regulations or resolutions passed, with
the
approval of the Board, by the Land Fund Committee appointed by the
Minister
of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
The Manager shall have the power and duty to manage the Land
Fund in accordance with the objectives under paragraph one and in compliance
with the rules, regulations and resolutions of the Land Fund Committee
under
paragraph two, and the provisions of section 23 and section 25 apply
mutatis
mutandis.
The Manager must separate the accounts and financial documents
or other assets of the Land Fund from the accounts and financial documents
or
other assets of the Bank.
CHAPTER VII
Appropriation of Profits
_______________
Section 35.
The surplus of the annual net profits which had been
appropriated for paying bonuses under section 26 shall be transferred
to the
accumulated profit account.
Section 36.
The Bank shall not pay dividends to the
shareholders out of the money other than the accumulated profits.
Section 37.
At each payment of dividend, the Bank shall
appropriate to the reserve an amount not less than one-half of the
paid dividend
from the accumulated profits.
When the reserve under the preceding paragraph is equal to or
exceeds the amount of paid-up share capital, the Bank may cease to
appropriate
or reduce the amount to be appropriated to the reserve.
CHAPTER VIII
Audit and Report
_______________
Section 38.
The Board shall cause the accounts of the Bank to
be audited at least once a year.
Within sixty days after this Act comes into force, the Board shall
appoint an auditor to audit the accounts of the Bank for the first
calendar year.
Section 39.17
With one hundred and fifty days after the end of
each accounting year, the Board shall submit the balance-sheet and
profit and
loss account duly certified by the auditor together with the annual
report to the
general meeting for consideration.
Section 40.18
The Bank shall submit the annual report, balance-
sheet and profit and loss account approved by the general meeting to
the
Council of Ministers within one hundred and eighty days after the end
of each
accounting year. Such report shall refer to the achievement of the
Bank in the
preceding year, statement on policies of the Bank and working plan
for the
coming year.
CHAPTER IX
Miscellaneous
_______________
Section 41.
The Bank shall be exempted from taxes under the
revenue Code.
If the Bank takes part in any matter in which a law requires the
registration of rights and juristic acts, in registering such rights
and juristic acts,
the Bank shall be exempted from payment of fees under the law on such
matter.19
Section 42.
In the liquidation of the Bank, the money paid on
shares shall be returned to the other shareholders in preference to
the Ministry
of Finance.
CHAPTER X
Penalties
_______________
Section 43.20
Any person who violates section 32 shall be liable
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to a fine not
exceeding
two thousand Baht or to both.
_______________________________
17As amended by section 9 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives
Act (No. 3), B.E. 2525 (1982).
18As amended by section 9, ibid.
19As added by section 10, ibid.
20As amended by section 10 of the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural
Cooperatives Act (No. 2), B.E. 2519 (1976).
The offence under this section is a compoundable offence.
Countersigned by:
Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn
Prime Minister
Certified correct translation
(Taksapol Chiemwichitra)
(Pornthip Jala)*
Office of the Council of State
_______________________________
*Certifying the texts as amended by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives Act (No. 4), B.E. 2535 (1992).