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The new Office of Commercial Economics (OCE), expected to be up and running by the middle of next year, will become the ministry's arm to facilitate export growth and detect direct or indirect barriers to trade set up by trading partners.

The Kingdom needs an office that closely monitors the world situation both in its economic and political aspects. Having the latest information will help the government draw up plans that directly target the problems.

The ministry thinks exports will grow next year by 15 per cent to more than US$200 billion (Bt6.9 trillion), challenging other economic experts who predict they will see just single-digit growth as a result of global economic recession.

Siripol Yodmuangcharoen, permanent secretary of the ministry, said that despite many negative factors, including the strengthening baht, the slowing world economy and oil-prices, the government would aggressively boost exports next year and ensure sustainable growth.

Other negative factors such as political uncertainty, labour shortages and rising non-tariff barriers will also affect growth.

"Our new trade office will integrate all statistical work and data, which will facilitate utilisation by other departments of the ministry to drive trade and investment growth," said Siripol.

The OCE will assemble national and global trade information in order to estimate and monitor any change in trade regulations and policies.

More than 90 per cent of its job will be handling information from overseas.

The ministry already has bureaux of trade statistics, but they are primarily concerned with internal information and do not try to apply the information to benefit trade growth.

The office will also draw up a National Trade Estimate of trading partners to give a running picture of trade relations with each country and to inform exporters about new trade conditions in the world market.

In the beginning it will liase with the Bureau of Trade and Economic Indices, the Trade and Economic Policy office, the Economic and Market Analysis office and the Economic Trading Information Centre. About 170 government officials will be under the new office, which will be led by the secretary-general.