BANGKOK, July 13 (TNA) — The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) expressed its full support for the establishment of an economic rehabilitation center while calling for liquidity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a boost to people’s purchasing power.
FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree said he supported the prime minister’s idea to set up a center to rehabilitate the economy after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and that the private sector should have their say on the operation of the new center.
The private sector could offer useful information for economic rehabilitation and set sound goals for the recovery of national economy and industries, he said.
Besides, Mr Supant asked the government to introduce more monetary and fiscal measures to boost people’s purchasing power in order to relieve economic damage.
FTI was concerned about the lack of liquidity among SMEs that made products for export and local markets and those operating in the tourism sector, he said.
Mr Supant urged the government to quickly consider the idea of Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to set up an SME fund. He said that an economic rehabilitation center could speed up the implementation of the idea.
He proposed that the prime minister head the economic rehabilitation center and the private sector share information about economic problems in the center. He said the sooner the center was formed, the better the government could solve economic problems.
Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong, chairwoman of the Thai National Shippers’ Council, said that the proposal for an economic rehabilitation center came from the private sector which saw the effective work of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
Conventionally, proposals from the private sector went to different ministries before reaching the government and that meant red tape. The new center headed by the prime minister would speed up economic solutions in the post-COVID-19 era, she said. (TNA)
