Eight strategies outlined to promote exports

After a brainstorming meeting in Bangkok, officials and private enterprises shared similar views that export growth next year was likely to encounter difficulties because of the serious impact of the euro-zone economic crisis on the global economy.

DITP director-general Srirat Rastapana said the department would strive to achieve growth of more than 1 per cent compared with this year’s expected export expansion of 4-5 per cent, she said.

The DITP is scheduled to meet with 63 Thai trade officials from overseas from November 26-30 to set the export target and marketing plan for next year. Srirat said that to drive export growth, the department would forge closer cooperation with the private sector in drawing up marketing strategies to promote the export of each product to a particular market.

Paiboon Ponsuwanna, chairman of the Thai National Shippers’ Council, said the government should seriously support the export sector next year by not launching any new policies that could obstruct business. For instance, it should review the nationwide increase in the minimum wage and quickly pass the anti-money-laundering law.

He also supported the government’s plan to start bilateral talks with the European Union to help boost exports to the EU market.

The eight strategies to promote exports next year are:

npromote research and development,

ninnovation,

ncreativity,

ndevelopment of environmentally friendly products,

nsupport Thai small and medium-sized enterprises to become international traders,

nraise the standards of Thai products to win global acceptance,

nreap higher benefits from free-trade agreements and Asean integration,

ndevelop the image of Thai products and services,

nuse new technology and digital media for reaching out to modern consumers,

npromote industrial cluster development,

ndevelop human resources for professional trade promotion.