The Thai interim government launched on Wednesday its first economic stimulus package worth 44.04 billion baht (about 1.25 billion U.S. dollars), aimed at helping small businesses and lowincome groups to access loans, according to the web edition of local newspaper the Nation.

Measures to boost private investment and job creation are expected to follow soon.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's interim government is facing growing public discontent over the economic slowdown as a result of sagging investors' and consumers' confidence.

The stimulus money will be distributed through state-run banks, Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn said after he met with executives from the Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

Source: Xinhua