BANGKOK, Feb 4 — The Commerce Ministry has proposed that the cabinet handle exports expansion as a national agenda item and insists its target of 4 per cent export growth rate this year is possible with sustained efforts to expand ttade, especially at the country's borders with Cambdia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar.
Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said that although many organizations expected an export growth rate of 2.5-3 per cent this year due to foreign exchange fluctuations and global oil prices, the ministry would try its utmost to achieve the 4 per cent rate.
To realize that, Ms Apiradi said, the mianistry will ask the cabinet name exports as a national agenda and form an international trade promotion committee with the prime minister as chairman and representatives of the private and the government sectors as members.
She also said that border trade would significantly boost exports.
Border trade will increase by 30 per cent and its value will reach Bt1.5 trillion this year, she said.
Thai and Myanmar commerce authorities agreed to raise the value of their border trade to Bt120 billion annually within a few years, Ms Apiradi said.
Commerce authorities will visit Laos from tomorrow though Monday and Malaysia next Wednesday and Thursday to promote border trade, she added.
The annual value of overall border trade exceeded Bt1 trillion, with about Bt500 billion resulting from border trade with Malaysia, Ms Apiradi said. (MCOT online news) '
