SMEs to the fore in sufficiency economy, says deputy premier
Thai industries, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), will be more in focus by the government as it applies the concept of the sufficiency economy, said Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Kosit Panpiemras.
In a meeting held on Tuesday with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), president Santi Vilassakdanont and high-ranking officials from the ministry, Kosit said Thailand must focus on developing its value-added productivity by means of scientific knowledge and technology.He said the sufficiency economy should not be adopted only in the agricultural sector but also in the industrial sector. In the private sector, the government wants business operators to rely on themselves while simultaneously being supported by the government. "For the 11 months remaining before the election, the government and business operators will have to work together to improve industries in Thailand," said Kosit. More than 90 per cent of FTI members come from the private sector. He said, the government would now set clear goals for SMEs, which will be discussed at a meeting of the Office of SMEs Promotion today. Vallop Vitanakorn, secretary-general of the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, said the government should support the establishment of garment clusters in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the industry. Yutthasak Supasorn, deputy executive director of the National Food Institute, said participants in the meeting had commented that the institute should focus on promoting the Thai World Kitchen project as well as raising the quality of products to meet international standards. Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul, The Nation
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