Thailand's flood-hit business operators ensured special privileges

BANGKOK, October 29 (TNA) - The Thai government will extend investment incentives and privileges for affected business operators in the wake of the country's flood crisis. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong, who is also Commerce Minister, spoke of the Thai government's policy during his meeting with diplomats from over 80 countries and chairs of foreign chambers of commerce in Thailand on Saturday to brief them on his administration's measures to assist flood-hit people and business operators. Kittirat acknowledged that the Thai government has also prepared a total loan of some 324 billion baht to assist all flood-affected groups, covering business firms, apart from the extended investment privileges, including facilitations regarding visa and work permits for the expatriates. According to the deputy premier, the Thai government will also speed up rehabilitating flood-hit industrial zones so that they can resume normal operations within 45 days after inundations recede and will reform and integrate the country's water management plans with upgraded disaster warning networks, flood prevention measures at major economic zones and industrial sites and revised relevant laws to facilitate the national water management. The deputy premier said he ensured the international envoys and business leaders that the Thai government has planned a four-step move to deal with the country's ongoing flooding, the worst in several decades, including contingent plans, 4-6 week assistance to people in persistent flood-hit areas covering their access to necessity supply, immediate rehabilitation programs after inundations recede and the restructuring of the overall water management networks. (TNA)