Mega-fair to kick-start post-flood recovery
The Commerce Ministry will this week propose that the government hold a Thailand Mega Fair to relieve the impact of the flooding on manufacturers and traders.
It will recommend that the government set up a team comprising representatives of government agencies and private enterprises to conduct a road show to Thailand’s trade partners. The mission aims to boost foreign investors’ and traders’ confidence after plants were damaged by flooding, and shipments were delayed due to transportation difficulties.
The plan will be proposed to the first meeting of the post-flood rehabilitation committee today, which will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong.
Yanyong Phuangrach, permanent secretary to the ministry, said that the government will make a priority of organising the mega-fair to relieve the impact on enterprises after the floods have subsided.
It will also set up a marketplace for specific sectors including garments, electronics and agro-industry so that enterprises will have a channel through which to release products and find new trading partners.
At the Thailand Mega Fair, each government unit will set up a consultation booth for companies. Banks will be invited to join the event to offer soft loans to entrepreneurs.
The Department of Export Promotion will set up an export clinic to offer advice and a business-matching opportunity for traders and producers. The Business Development Department will invite franchise enterprises to join the fair so that interested traders can start new businesses with low investment capital.
In addition, the ministry plans to add some essential products to its price-control list after seeing some prices soar during the flooding.
Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol said the ministry’s Internal Trade Department was closely monitoring goods prices, and was considering imposing stringent price controls on bricks and cement blocks after prices grew dramatically in the past few weeks.
The price of bricks is up from 75 satang per unit to Bt1.38; CCP bricks up from Bt22 to Bt23.50; and concrete blocks up from Bt4.50 to Bt7.50.
So far, 41 products are on the department’s price-control list. Under the price-control measure, producers and traders must not increase retail prices without informing the ministry. Those that do are subject to seven years in prison and/or a Bt140,000 fine.
