BANGKOK, Nov 10 (TNA) — The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has forecast that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) competitiveness index would sustain slight growth in the last quarter this year.
According to a joint survey conducted by UTCC and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank (SME Bank), Thailand’s SME competiveness index rose to 48.6 in the third quarter, up slightly from the previous quarter.
UTCC Rector Saowanee Thairungroj said the survey, conducted among 1,255 people nationwide, showed that the index broken down into three sub-indices including SME situation index during the third quarter this year stood at 43.2, down 0.1 from the previous quarter, and is expected to slip to 42.3 in the final quarter.
SME competency index in the third quarter stood at 50.3, up 0.1 from the second quarter, and is forecast to advance to 50.5 in the final quarter.
The SME sustainability index increased by 1.1 to 53.1 in the third quarter. It is forecast to slip to 52.6 in the final quarter this year.
Thanawat Ponvichai, UTCC vice rector and also director of the Centre of Economics and Business, meanwhile, said the SME competitiveness index, obtained from those three sub-indices, showed that it advanced to 48.6, up 0.1 from the second quarter, and would sustain growth to 48.8 in the last quarter this year.
Simultaneously, SME Bank President Mongkol Leelatham said that SME customers of his bank still needed business general knowledge, including account preparation, business and marketing planning, and to upgrade their products in order to further boost their businesses. (TNA)
