Production index for SMEs deemed a 'necessary tool'
The government should initiate a Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to give operators a clearer picture of their investment, Aat Pisanwanich, director of the Small and Medium Enterprise Study Centre, has suggested.
Aat said the Sentiment Index for SMEs, which is maintained by the Federation of Thai Industries, only surveys operators' opinions and does not relay trends in the sector. He said an MPI should be used because it measures production and revenue. "The government should do an MPI for SMEs as well as for large enterprises," he said. Aat said such an index would help measure SMEs' impact on the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and would show the real growth of the SMEs sector. "The GDP of the SMEs sector ... decreased slightly each year between 2001 and last year according to my research. This means large enterprises keep growing while SMEs have balked," said Aat. He said the SMEs sector faces some worries next year such as fluctuating oil prices and the possibility of government policy changes. He recommended the government develop the SMEs sector by improving workforce skills, adopting new technologies such as e-commerce and undertaking marketing via SMS. Also, he said the government should consider improving SMEs' logistics systems by surveying their total cost and comparing it with other countries. Finally, Aat said the government should work with the SME Bank to try and prevent non-performing loans.
Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul The Nation
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