ID :
167311
Fri, 03/11/2011 - 05:41
Auther :

Thai PM orders plans for Thai SMEs

BANGKOK, March 11 (TNA) - The Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) to speed up plans to prime Thai SMEs for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The Thai premier made the instruction when he presided over the opening ceremony of “Thailand SMEs EXPO 2011”, which runs from Thursday until March 13 in Muang Thong Thani on the outskirts of Bangkok--aimed to provide an opportunity for Thai SME entrepreneurs to negotiate trade deals with their foreign counterparts.

At the event, Abhisit ordered OSMEP to conduct studies and develop the plans to help Thai SMEs begin their transition needed to make the most of the AEC--scheduled to be formed by 2015.

OSMEP Director-General Yuthasak Supasorn said he expected a study on potential 2015 AEC economic opportunities and dangers for Thai SMEs to be completed over the next month or two before it can be presented to the Thai Cabinet and can then be used to inform Thai SMEs.

Meanwhile, SME Managing Director Sorot Sakornvissava said SME Bank is ready to help all local SME entrepreneurs, especially regarding applications for export licenses.

In response to Wednesday's decision of the Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee to raise its key interest rate by 0.25 percent, Sorot admitted that the new move would increase enterprises’ production costs but he insisted that the SME Bank would peg a Minimum Loan Rate at 7 percent. (TNA)

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