GPF to increase its international investments to 40%
The Government Pension Fund (GPF) has returned 5.73 per cent of its investments to its members in 2019, cementing a strategy that diverifies national risks to other countries with low risks for stable returns, and will expand its international investment if the Finance Ministry approves an expansion of limited ceiling from 30 to 40 per cent of its total investment portfolio, secretary-general GPF Vitai Ratanakorn said.
In 2019, assets with high yields comprised world equities (18.38 per cent), absolute return funds (13.33 per cent), private equities (6.38 per cent) and real estate (6.16 per cent), while Thai bonds and equity instruments provided 4.38 per cent and 2.36 per cent of returns, respectively, he said.
Vithai said the GPF would continue to provide compensation to its members this year.
The GPF estimates that the lower tension in the trade war between the United States and China and world money market liquidity, which remains high, would help the global economy expand more than in the previous year, despite the tensions in the Middle East and the US presidential election, that will be held in November.
Vitai expects Thailand’s economic and investment situation to continue to expand due to the improvement in domestic consumption, thanks to the government’s economic stimulus measures.
He said that after a new Budget Act is approved, the government should be able to issue more similar measures to stimulate the economy and increase consumption.
The GPF estimates that the Thai economy in 2020 will expand around 2.8-3.0 per cent, with inflation at 1 per cent.